World news – CA – Peruvian MPs vote to impeach the president over the alleged graft

Lima, Peru (AP) – Peruvian lawmakers voted Monday night to impeach President Martin Vizcarra, accusing him of receiving bribes years ago and poorly dealing with the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic

The vote represents the last chapter of political unrest in a country with the world’s highest per capita death rate due to COVID-19

The president denied wrongdoing in a strong speech to Congress, but lawmakers said they did not believe him as they criticized his response to the virus, citing increasing poverty, deadly hypoxia and the state’s misleading use of rapid antibody tests

Opposition MPs accuse Vizcarra of seizing $ 630,000 in exchange for two construction projects while he was governor of a small province in southern Peru from 2011 to 2014 The lawsuits come from the same building managers accused of corruption who could get a shorter prison sentence for information

Lima, Peru (AFP) – Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra warned opposition MPs seeking to oust him on Monday that a reckless decision to impeach him on the basis of unproven corruption allegations could lead to dire consequences for the hard-hit country

Upon arriving at Congress wearing a mask with a picture of a condor flying over the Andes, the beleaguered president released a speech rejecting any wrongdoing and calling for unity during the COVID-19 pandemic

His accusers must get 87 votes out of 130 to dislodge him – a decision that could come as early as Monday evening

The South American country has plunged into yet another chapter of political uncertainty while also grappling with a severe economic downturn and the world’s highest per capita death rate from COVID-19. This is the second time in less than two months that Congress has called for a vote to isolate Vizcarra, who is popular with Peruvians but does not have a party to support him in the legislature.

The new call to remove Vizcarra centers on accusations that he took in more than $ 630,000 in bribes for agreeing to two construction contracts while he was the governor of Moquegua, a small county of 180000 In southern Peru, allegations come from construction managers who are being investigated for corruption in a separate case and can reduce their potential prison term by providing information

Speaking to lawmakers who have sometimes cried out against him, Vizcarra said that he will not have the authority to enter into the contracts in question, which must go through a detailed approval process involving several actors, one for an irrigation project and the other for a hospital.

He said, “The best technical decisions were made – none of them were meant to fill anyone’s pockets, let alone myself”

He told lawmakers that the impeachment of the president in Peru would likely be disastrous based on data from the people under investigation themselves and with possible ulterior motives to accuse him of wrongdoing in Peru, lawmakers could impeach the president on the vaguely defined grounds of « moral impotence. » / p>

« It will increase concerns about the viability and institutions of Peru, » he said, and this will have dire economic consequences.

Peru has had one of the world’s worst virus outbreaks, with at least 34,879 deaths and 9,22,333 infections in the country of 32 million people. The high death and infection rate is the culmination of years of under-investment in public health, poverty and costly decisions. By officials in the early days of the epidemic, such as the widespread deployment of rapid antibody tests to diagnose cases even though they cannot identify infection early during an illness

Vizcarra climbed to the country’s highest office in 2018 after the resignation of then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski amid allegations that he had failed to disclose payments from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to his private consulting firm. He has made defeating corruption his primary mission and is one of the nation’s most popular leaders in Modern history

But he has faced Congress over and over again, dismissing lawmakers last year in a tumultuous move that citizens hailed as a victory over dishonest politicians. He has also pushed through initiatives to reform how judges choose judges and prevent politicians who have committed crimes from running for office.

Political analyst Alonso Cardenas said the repeated attempts to overthrow Vescara highlight weaknesses in the Peruvian political system, where no party has a majority and politicians are guided by individual interests more than ideology.

“As unbelievable as it sounds, it is easier to dismiss a Peruvian president than a mayor,” he said, “Regarding the political system in general and the country’s credibility, this is very negative.

The president easily survived a September impeachment vote by opposition MPs who accused him of favoring an unknown singer known as Richard Swing. The artist received nearly $ 50,000 in questionable contracts by the Culture Ministry for activities such as motivational speaking during the pandemic. Vizcarra denied any misconduct. Lawmakers decided that there were no grounds for his dismissal, although the investigation continues.

It was not uncertain whether lawmakers would get enough votes to oust him on Monday. Several lawmakers made speeches urging his removal, speaking so forcefully that many had to take off the face masks that slipped while yelling into the microphones Many accused the president of being a liar and others denounced his handling of the pandemic, saying he owed the nation an apology

Yessica Apaza, a Congresswoman who represents a county where nearly half of the citizens live in poverty, said she could not vote for Vizcarra while more of her voters began to go hungry and referred to cases of Peruvians who have died from COVID-19 while waiting to get hold. On oxygen, she said she believes the country is not prepared to deal with a second increase in virus cases

“It is time to break this long tail of corruption,” she said, “The government did not come – they wasted opportunities and were cheated.”

Peru, Martin Vizcarra, impeachment