Reuters. Peruvian politician Dina Boluarte was sworn as interim president on Wednesday (December 7), hours after Pedro Castillo was removed in an impeachment trial during a day of high political drama in the Andean nation.
Boluarte, elevated from vice president, becomes Peru's first-ever female president, following Castillo's attempt to dissolve the legislature by decree to avoid the impeachment vote, which sparked a wave of resignations by ministers and criticism from allies.
Peru's Congress voted to oust Castillo in an impeachment trial on Wednesday, hours after he plunged the country into a constitutional crisis by attempting to dissolve the legislature by decree.
Ignoring Castillo's attempt to shut down Congress, lawmakers moved ahead with the previously planned impeachment trial, with 101 votes in favor of removing him, six against and 10 abstentions. The result was announced with loud cheers and the legislature called Vice President Dina Boluarte to take office.
That sparked resignations by key ministers from Castillo's government and allegations of a "coup" by opposition members and allies. The police and Armed Forces warned him that the route he had taken to try to dissolve Congress was unconstitutional.
Congress summoned Castillo last week to respond to accusations of "moral incapacity" to govern. The prosecutor's office in October filed a constitutional complaint against Castillo for allegedly leading "a criminal organization" to profit from state contracts and for obstructing investigations.
Castillo has called the allegations "slander" by groups seeking "to take advantage and seize the power that the people took from them at the polls."
The leftist teacher-turned-president has survived two previous attempts to impeach him since he began his term in July 2021.
