On Oct. 10, Peru swore in its eighth president in less than a decade, Congress leader José Jerí. Former President Dina Boluarte, who has one of the world’s lowest approval ratings of under five per cent, was successfully removed from office after Congress’ ninth attempt to impeach her. The timing and the prolonged decision has created widespread skepticism, with many Peruvians asking why lawmakers waited so long.
Jerí was sworn in as interim president and will serve until the next elections scheduled for April 2026. This has sparked outrage as he was recently the subject of a rape allegation — archived just days before his rise to power. Feminist collectives said this demonstrates a broader culture of misogyny and impunity among Peru’s political elite and society itself.
“This indicates that there is social tolerance [with those accused of sexual violence], which is also reflected institutionally — posing a serious risk to the prevention of this crime.”
Nationwide protests erupted on Oct. 15, with thousands demanding Jerí’s resignation and deeper institutional reform. Clashes with the police left Eduardo Ruiz Sanz dead and over a hundred injured, resulting in growing frustration and a call for accountability.
