Peru Impeaches Its Eighth President in a Decade: Jose Jeri Ousted After Just Four Months in 'Chifa-Gate' Scandal

Lawmakers vote 75-24 to remove interim leader over secret meetings with Chinese businessmen and alleged influence peddling; fourth president impeached since 2016

Peru's Congress voted Tuesday to impeach interim President Jose Jeri, making him the eighth person to hold the office in the past decade and the fourth to be impeached, as the Andean nation's political instability reaches new heights just weeks before scheduled general elections .

Jeri, 39, was removed from office after just four months following a vote of 75 lawmakers in favor of impeachment, 24 against, and three abstentions. He had assumed the presidency in October after predecessor Dina Boluarte was herself impeached amid widespread protests over corruption and surging gang violence .

The 'Chifa-Gate' Scandal

The impeachment stemmed from a controversy dubbed "Chifa-gate" by local media—a reference to the Peruvian term for Chinese restaurants. Security camera footage emerged showing Jeri in clandestine meetings with Chinese businessmen outside his official schedule, including one late-night visit where he appeared to try concealing his identity with a hooded sweatshirt .

One of the attendees was businessman Yang Zhihua, known locally as "Johnny," who holds government contracts. Another individual present, Ji Wu Xiaodong, was under house arrest while being investigated for alleged involvement in an illegal timber trafficking network called "Los Hostiles de la Amazonia" .

Prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into whether Jeri exercised "undue influence" in government appointments, noting that nine women allegedly secured jobs in the presidential office and environment ministry after private meetings with him .

Peruvian law requires presidents to document all official activities, but Jeri failed to record these encounters. He maintained his innocence throughout, telling lawmakers "I have not committed a crime" and accusing rivals of orchestrating a smear campaign .

A System in Perpetual Crisis

The vote marks the latest chapter in what analysts describe as a prolonged institutional breakdown. Jeri was Peru's seventh president since 2016, a period that has seen four presidents impeached, two resign to avoid the same fate, and only one complete his intended term .

Lawmakers in Peru's unicameral Congress have gained increasing leverage over the executive branch over the past decade, using a constitutional clause allowing removal on grounds of "moral incapacity"—a provision that has been interpreted broadly by legislators . The last president to complete a full five-year term was Ollanta Humala, who governed from 2011 to 2016 .

"Jerí exercised his power secretly: secret meetings, late-night gatherings and contradictory statements," lawmaker Hamel Echevarría said during the parliamentary session .

Economic Stability Amid Political Chaos

Despite the revolving door of presidents, Peru's economy has remained remarkably stable. The Andean nation posted a public debt-to-GDP ratio of 32 percent in 2024, one of the lowest in Latin America, and continues to attract foreign investment in mining and infrastructure projects .

However, citizens express deep frustration with the political class. "We live in uncertainty," Erick Solorzano, a 29-year-old physician, told AFP. Edgardo Torres, an industrial engineer, added: "We need a true leader in such an unstable country" .

A Precarious Transition

Congress will meet Wednesday to elect a new president from among its members, who will serve until July 28, when the winner of the April 12 presidential election takes office. Four candidates have reportedly put themselves forward: former Speaker Maria del Carmen Alva, left-wing congressman Jose Balcazar, veteran socialist Edgard Reymundo, and politician Hector Acuna, whose party has been tainted by past corruption scandals .

Whoever takes over will inherit a nation grappling with a wave of extortion that has claimed dozens of lives, high levels of post-pandemic poverty and unemployment, and the presence of transnational gangs such as Venezuela's Tren de Aragua .

Political analyst Augusto Alvarez warned there is "no guarantee that whoever replaces Jeri will be able to make it to July 2026" . For ordinary Peruvians, the political drama unfolding in Lima often feels distant from their daily struggles. As 29-year-old Torres put it, the country's instability demands a leader with genuine vision, not just another occupant of the presidential palace.