Peru’s Congress Votes to Impeach President José Geri

On Tuesday, Peru’s Congress made the decision to impeach and remove President José Geri from his position, leaving the office unoccupied. This comes just two months before the scheduled presidential elections and after Geri opted not to run.

Geri, who previously served as speaker of parliament, became president in the same year following the impeachment of former President Dina Bolarte in October. Bolarte had taken office after the impeachment of Pedro Castillo, who himself succeeded Martín Vizcarra, the latter of whom resigned to avoid impeachment after taking over from Pedro Pablo Kucinski.

Oranta Humala, the last president to complete a full term, later faced prison time for corruption charges.

With Geri’s ousting, he became the eighth president in a decade, while his successor—elected by parliament on Wednesday—will be the ninth. Usually, a vice president would step in as interim leader when a president is removed, but the recent history of impeachments has left the succession line depleted. After Geri took over from Bolarte, Congress did not replace him as speaker, so he didn’t have the opportunity to appoint a vice president.

Peru’s parliament has broad powers that include removing the president for an ambiguous condition termed “persistent moral incapacity.” This was the basis for Geri’s impeachment, which followed multiple motions based on various controversies related to his presidency. Ultimately, the vote saw 75 councilors in favor, 24 against, and three abstentions.

As it stands, the office of President is officially vacant, with neither a Vice President nor a President of Congress currently in place. Members of Congress announced plans to submit a bill at 6 PM local time on Wednesday, with a vote scheduled for a new Congress president who will temporarily assume the presidential duties.

The main accusation against Geri was his association with a “right-wing” party but a perceived lack of substantial political initiatives during his time in office—a label often referred to in Peru as “chifa gate.” Notably, on December 26, Geri was recorded having a private meeting with Chinese businessman Yang Zhihua at a location that wasn’t included in his official schedule. The specifics of that meeting, however, remain ambiguous. Geri faced accusations of corruption for allegedly engaging in secret discussions with Chinese officials.

He denied any illegal behavior apart from trying to keep the meeting discreet. In his defense, Geri stated that if he had anything to hide, he would resign, asserting he had not misled the public or acted unlawfully. He claimed the circumstances surrounding his situation were being manipulated to undermine the presidency and to affect the upcoming electoral process.

Just before his impeachment, Geri found himself in another controversy after a national court mandated he attend psychotherapy for “impulsive and pathological sexual behavior.” This came in the wake of a December 2024 incident concerning a woman’s assault during a New Year’s celebration, which required a ruling for therapy that Geri allegedly ignored. The timeline for when he might comply with this ruling remains uncertain.

Additionally, after beginning his term as interim president, Geri was criticized for following multiple pornographic accounts on his official Instagram. He responded to public ridicule on social media by urging people to move on and not dwell in the past.

With Geri’s controversies mounting, he has chosen not to seek election in the April 2026 presidential race, with his tenure set to conclude in late July when the new president will be inaugurated. The lack of an incumbent has drawn numerous candidates into the race, with 36 people currently registered. As of now, however, no candidate appears to have gained a notable lead in pre-election polls, marking a record number of participants. Recent polling indicates that former Lima Mayor Rafael López Arriaga leads with 11.7% support, trailed by Sen. Keiko Fujimori at 8%. Fujimori, a frequent figure in presidential elections, is the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori and served as first lady after her parents’ divorce.