Peru’s Congress removed interim President José Jerí from office on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, less than two months before general elections are scheduled to take place. The move marks the eighth change in presidential leadership in the South American nation in under a decade, highlighting a period of sustained political instability.
Jerí is under investigation by Peruvian prosecutors on suspicion of influence peddling. The inquiry was prompted by reports of clandestine meetings with Chinese business owners who have contracts with the state, as well as alleged irregularities in the hiring of staff with whom he met at the Government Palace, according to reports from Efe.
Jerí had been serving as interim president after Dina Boluarte was removed from the presidency in October of last year.
Conservative parties withdraw support
Jerí’s party, Somos Perú, had proposed suspending the debate on his removal and pursuing the legal mechanism of “vacancia” – a presidential impeachment – which would have required a two-thirds majority vote in Congress. However, the parliamentary majority rejected this proposal.
the motion to remove Jerí passed with 75 votes in favor, 24 against, and 3 abstentions. The conservative bloc that previously supported Jerí withdrew its confidence in him, seeking to distance itself from the interim president’s declining popularity ahead of the upcoming elections.
The only party to maintain its support for Jerí was Fuerza Popular, the political organization led by Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori.
Peru’s Congress will elect a new Speaker of the Chamber on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, who will then serve as interim president until July 28, when the winner of the presidential and legislative elections on April 12 will take office.
