Peru’s new president Vizcarra sworn in Friday

LIMA, Peru — Peru’s new President Martin Vizcarra promised to fight corruption head on as he took power Friday and vowed to heal the bitter wounds left by a vote-buying scandal that abruptly forced his predecessor from office.

In his first address as president, Vizcarra, the relatively unknown former governor of Peru’s second-smallest state, appealed for national unity and urged young Peruvians not to succumb to cynicism.

“Don’t lose faith in our institutions,” he said in remarks to congress shortly after being draped in the red and white presidential sash. “Let us show you that Peru is bigger than its problems.”

Vizcarra’s 15-minute speech was short on specifics. Other than vowing to form a completely new cabinet, he gave little insight into how he would attack Peru’s endemic corruption.

But he received warm applause from lawmakers weary of the months-long effort to oust Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, whose resignation was approved overwhelmingly just a few hours earlier.