Peru ousts President Jose Jeri for secretly meeting Chinese businessman

Peru’s Congress has ousted President Jose Jeri, following a scandal over his secret-meeting with a Chinese businessman, amid a deepening political crisis in the country.

Jeri’s removal, just after four months in office, marks the ouster of the third consecutive president. The South American country will now have its eighth president in the eight years after Congress elects a new head of government.

Jeri was removed from office after the “Chifagate” scandal. The president was filmed arriving disguised in a hooded outfit to meet a Chinese restaurant owner. 

75 out of 102 lawmakers voted in favour of his removal, while 24 voted against and three abstained.

An interim leader will take over the government amid challenging times as the country prepares for new elections to be held on April 12, 2026.

President of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington, Michael Shifter, said that the Peru lawmakers are driven purely by political self-interest and their decisions showcase only the electoral calculations.

He added, “Enough lawmakers concluded that supporting Jerí would hurt them in elections, so they had to act.”

The now-former president said that he would honour the voting outcome. 

The crisis has deepened as the current head of Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, has refused to take over as interim president.

Congress will vote to elect a new president on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.