Peru’s Congress removes interim president José Jerí after “Chifagate” security footage

Peru’s Congress voted to remove interim president José Jerí in a 75–24 decision, with three abstentions reported, after security-camera footage and reporting revealed undisclosed late-night meetings between Jerí and Chinese businessmen in a scandal now called "Chifagate." The ouster comes roughly four months after Jerí assumed the presidency on Oct. 10, 2025, and leaves the legislature to pick a new interim leader ahead of the April 12 presidential election.

Footage published by local media showed clandestine meetings at times and locations outside Jerí’s official agenda, including an encounter in which he appears to try to obscure his identity. One businessman named in reporting is Zhihua Yang, who has been linked to state concessions for an energy project. Leaked entry-and-exit logs and travel manifests cited in press accounts allege that several young women who later obtained government posts had accompanied Jerí on multiple official trips, including on the presidential plane. The attorney general has opened a preliminary investigation into corruption and influence peddling.

Jerí, 39, apologised for the meetings while denying illegal conduct and insisting that the appointments at issue were lawful; he also said he would respect the outcome of the congressional vote. Public reaction in Lima was immediate: residents celebrated in the capital as news of the legislature’s action spread.

Legal and procedural questions shadow the political fallout. Congress described the action as an impeachment, but the move was carried by a simple majority rather than the 87 votes required for a formal impeachment under congressional rules; a simple-majority censure can strip a lawmaker of leadership roles and lead to removal from office. The discrepancy in terminology underscores both legal ambiguity and the speed of the parliamentary maneuver that critics have called an "express" removal.

Lawmakers must now select one of their members to serve as interim president until the elected successor takes office on July 28, when the winner of the April election is sworn in. Fernando Rospigliosi, the acting speaker, said Congress would vote the day after Jerí’s removal to determine a replacement; he has reportedly declined to assume the presidency himself. The congressional vote to install a new head will effectively decide the next interim chief executive, replicating precedents in Peru’s recent crises.

The episode deepens a decade-long pattern of turnover that has eroded institutional confidence and raised investor concern. Some observers count Jerí as the seventh president since 2016; others note he is the sixth leader in the past decade to leave before completing a term. Calls in Congress for a swift handover were blunt: “We ask to end this agony so we can truly create the transition citizens are hoping for,” she said, according to Reuters.

For markets and policy, the immediate risks are twofold: political instability that can widen sovereign risk premia and complicate governance of strategic sectors, and reputational damage tied to state concessions cited in the scandal. Peru’s economy remains heavily exposed to foreign investment in mining and energy, and uncertainty over concessions or regulatory continuity could raise capital costs for major projects. Rating agencies, investors and the incoming election campaign will now assess whether a quick congressional transition can restore credibility and steady policy through July and beyond.

Officials from Congress, the attorney general’s office, and Jerí’s legal team were not immediately available for further comment. Journalists and watchdogs will seek the congressional record, entry-and-exit logs, full footage and the attorney general’s case file to clarify the scope of alleged influence peddling and the legal basis for removal.