Peru President survives impeachment vote
LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Peru’s President Martin Vizcarra survived an impeachment vote in Congress on Friday as his opponents failed to win the votes necessary to remove him from power.
Congress had voted last week to open impeachment proceedings against the 57-year-old president for “moral incapacity” over accusations he incited aides to lie to anti-graft investigators.
After a 10-hour debate, only 32 legislators voted for his dismissal, while 78 voted against and 15 abstained.
The opposition needed 87 votes of 130 to dismiss the popular leader.
“Peru’s great challenges require us to act sensibly and responsibly,” Vizcarra tweeted after the vote. “Let us all continue working together for what really matters to Peruvians.”
During a statement at the start of the Congressional debate, he had remained defiant.
“I’m not running. I didn’t do it before and I’m not going to do it now,” he said before leaving his defense to his lawyer Roberto Pereira.
The heated session was opened by Marino, who would have replaced Vizcarra as Peru’s leader had the impeachment carried.
He began by calling on members present in the chamber to avoid any intolerant gestures towards the head of state, although most of the 130 lawmakers joined the debate by video link due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken a heavy toll in the South American country.
Vizcarra had accused Marino of “conspiracy” by trying to secure military assurances for a bid to succeed him.
Vizcarra’s cabinet petitioned the Constitutional Court this week on the grounds the legislature had exceeded its powers and was not competent in seeking to rule on the president’s moral capacity. But the Court ruled by five votes to two to allow the vote.
Vizcarra, in power since 2018, came under fire after audio recordings were leaked, in which he is heard telling aides to hide details from congressional investigators of his office’s controversial hiring of a popular singer as a paid cultural advisor.