Peruvians get 3rd president in a week amid cautious hopes
Francisco Sagasti waves after being sworn-in as the new, interim president at Congress in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. Sagasti's appointment marks a tumultuous week in which thousands took to the streets outraged by Congress' decision to oust popular ex-President Martn Vizcarra. โI hope this one is different.โPeru plunged into turmoil last week when Congress voted to oust ex-President Martรญn Vizcarra. Sagasti voted against Vizcarraโs ouster โ a move likely to win him at least some backing from those who took to the streets in protest. Lawmakers used a 19th century-era clause to oust Vizcarra for โmoral incapacity,โ accusing him of taking bribes years ago when he was a governor.
Peru's Congress selects centrist lawmaker to be new leader
Peru's new interim President Francisco Sagasti waves to the crowd after he was designated by Congress to lead the nation, in Lima, Peru, Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. Congress chose Sagasti to become the nation's third president in the span of a week after Congress ousted Martin Vizcarra and the following protests forced his successor Manuel Merino to resign. People waved the nation's red-and-white flag and blared horns outside the gates of Congress as Francisco Sagasti of the centrist Purple Party was selected the legislature's new president. Shortly after the vote, he took an oath to become Congress' president. In his speech before Congress, Sagasti recognized the deep wounds the legislature must work to repair before the election.
Peru's interim president resigns as chaos embroils nation
People celebrate after the resignation of interim president Manuel Merino, at Plaza San Martin in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)LIMA โ Peruโs interim president resigned Sunday as the nation plunged into its worst constitutional crisis in two decades following massive protests unleashed when Congress ousted the nationโs popular leader. The politician agreed to step down after a night of unrest in which two young protesters were killed and half his Cabinet resigned. Congress called an emergency session for Sunday evening to select a new president, but was still debating the question late into the night. Merino, previously head of Congress, stepped in as interim president, but his six-day rule was marred by constant protests.
Peru president's ouster sparks wave of youth-led protests
On Tuesday, Manuel Merino was sworn in as the country's president, after the legislature voted Vizcarra out of office Monday. โI think they removed him out of their own personal interests rather than those of the people,โ she said. โLegislators are supposed to watching out for the good of all.โPeruโs Congress voted overwhelmingly to remove now ex-President Martรญn Vizcarra on Monday, complaining about his handling of the pandemic and accusing him of corruption. Nineteen people, including officers and civilians, were injured at a large protest Thursday, according to the public defenderโs office. Like those protests, the Peru demonstrations are loosely organized, driven by notices posted on social media and fueled in large part by the demands of young people.
Judge bars ex-Peru leader from leaving nation for 18 months
On Tuesday, Manuel Merino was sworn in as the country's president, after the legislature voted Vizcarra out of office Monday. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)LIMA โ A judge barred former Peruvian President Martรญn Vizcarra from leaving the nation for 18 months Friday while prosecutors investigate bribery allegations that Congress used to oust him, plunging the nation into a political crisis. The case against the popular leader โ whose ouster has been criticized by international organizations โ is still in the preliminary stage. The accusers claim Vizcarra asked a construction firm to rent the plane as part of the bribe. International organizations and analysts have questioned Congressโ use of the โmoral incapacityโ clause and say it put the nationโs democracy at risk.
Peru ouster throws nation's anti-corruption drive into doubt
Police block supporters of former President Martin Vizcarra from reaching Congress as lawmakers swear-in Manuel Merino, head of Peru's legislature, as the new president in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. Congress voted to oust Vizcarra over his handling of the new coronavirus pandemic and unproven allegations of corruption years ago. The chief of state had emerged as the countryโs most vocal proponent in pushing through measures to end decades of dirty politics. Vizcarra dissolved Congress last year after lawmakers repeatedly stonewalled efforts to curb graft and reform the judiciary. Furious at his removal Monday, thousands have taken to the streets daily in protest, refusing to recognize the new government.
The Latest: Hong Kong, Singapore plan 'air travel bubble'
Hong Kong and Singapore say they have agreed to a bilateral air travel bubble, re-establishing travel links as coronavirus infections in both cities decline. -- Maryland will reduce indoor operations for bars and restaurants from 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations. Maryland also reported 1,338 new coronavirus cases Tuesday โ the seventh straight day of at least 1,000 cases. ___WASHINGTON โ The U.S. has surpassed 1 million new confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of November. The El Paso County sheriffโs office says two of the employees were hospitalized over the weekend as coronavirus cases surged at the facility.
Peru impeachment plunges nation into new political turmoil
Peruvian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Monday night to remove Vizcarra from office, expressing anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and citing alleged but unproven corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)LIMA โ Peru tumbled into political turmoil Tuesday as anger mounted over a vote by Congress to oust the countryโs popular president over his handling of the pandemic and unproven allegations of corruption years ago. The ouster measure was supported by 105 legislators โ far more than the 87 votes needed for the two-thirds majority required to remove Peru's president. In his defense, Vizcarra warned opposition lawmakers that a rash decision to remove him could bring grave consequences for the already distressed nation. At least 34,879 people have died among 922,333 infected by the virus in Peru, a nation of 32 million people.
Congress votes to oust Peru's president amid pandemic crisis
The ouster measure was supported by 105 legislators โ far more than the 87 votes needed for the two-thirds majority required to remove Peru's president. Thousands gathered on the streets of Peru's capital after the vote to denounce Congress. The speed of the move against the president and lack of evidence led some political analysts to warn that Congress could be putting Peruโs democracy in jeopardy. Political analyst Alonso Cรกrdenas said the repeated attempts to oust Vizcarra highlight the weaknesses of Peruโs political system, where no party has a majority and politicians are guided more by individual interests than ideology. The president survived the impeachment vote in September brought by opposition lawmakers who accused him of favoring a little-known singer known as Richard Swing.
Peru president survives impeachment vote amid virus turmoil
Peru's President Martin Vizcarra greets reporters after addressing Congress in Lima, Peru, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. The decision came after long hours of debate in which legislators blasted Vizcarra but also questioned whether a rushed impeachment process would only create more turmoil in the middle of a health and economic crisis. In the end, only 32 lawmakers voted to remove the president, while 78 voted against and 15 abstained. He called for a proper investigation and urged lawmakers not to aggravate Peru's already precarious situation by rushing through an impeachment proceeding. The president has no majority in Congress, a pandemic still to deal with and an economic contraction that has thrown millions into poverty.
Peru high court rejects request to halt impeachment hearing
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)LIMA โ A high Peruvian court rejected a request by President Martรญn Vizcarra Thursday to halt impeachment proceedings being pushed by opposition lawmakers who contend he tried to cover up ties with a controversial ally. Tribunal President Marianella Ledesma said magistrates agreed to let the impeachment proceeding advance because recent events indicate the removal attempt is unlikely to actually result in Vizcarraโs ouster. Lawmakers who initiated the impeachment process last week have struggled to garner support and analysts believe they are unlikely to get enough votes to remove Vizcarra. The impeachment would come at a tumultuous time for Peru, one of the countries with the highest per capita COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. The proceedings have been rushed and no probe has yet concluded whether any illegal activity indeed took place.
Peruvians fill streets as lockdown ends despite infections
The 106-day lockdown devastated Perus economy, causing thousands of businesses to go under and millions of people to lose their jobs. Many of the jobless and poor turned to selling goods in the street to survive despite the stay-at-home orders. President Martin Vizcarra said the goal of easing the lockdown is to reactivate the economy and generate jobs. But tough measures will remain in place in seven regions in central Peru where infections are on the rise. With more than 285,000 confirmed infections, Peru has the seventh highest case count in the world.