Peru's Congress votes to remove President Boluarte as crime wave grips country
Lima (AP): Peru's Congress voted to remove deeply unpopular President Dina Boluarte from office as a crime wave grips the South American nation.
Lawmakers had voted to accept four requests for a vote to remove Boluarte from office over what they said is her government's inability to stem crime.
They exceeded the minimum 56 votes required for each request, setting up a debate and impeachment trial in the 130-member unicameral Congress.
Lawmakers then requested that Boluarte come before them on Thursday shortly before midnight to defend herself, but when she did not appear they immediately voted to oust her. In short order, 124 lawmakers voted just past midnight to impeach Boluarte.
The shocking turn of events came just hours after a shooting at a concert in the capital inflamed anger over crime roiling the South American nation.
Unlike eight previous attempts to remove her, almost all legislative factions expressed support for the latest requests.
Boluarte took office in December 2022 after Parliament used the same mechanism to impeach her predecessor.
Boluarte's government has struggled to respond to the spike in crime, particularly homicides and extortion. On Wednesday, she partially blamed the situation on immigrants living in the country illegally.
“This crime has been brewing for decades and has been strengthened by illegal immigration, which past administrations haven't defeated," she said during a military ceremony. “Instead, they've opened the doors of our borders and allowed criminals to enter everywhere... without any restrictions.”
Official figures show that 6,041 people were killed between January and mid-August, the highest number during the same period since 2017. Meanwhile, extortion complaints totalled 15,989 between January and July, a 28 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The country's latest presidential crisis erupted after a man opened fire and injured five people Wednesday during a concert of Peru's most popular cumbia groups, Agua Marina.
Prime Minister Eduardo Arana on Thursday defended Boluarte during a crime-focused hearing before Parliament, but it was not enough to dissuade lawmakers from pursuing the motions to see the president out of office.
“Parliament's concerns are not resolved by addressing a request for impeachment, much less by approving it,” Arana told lawmakers. “We are not clinging to our positions. We are here, and we knew from the beginning that our first day here could also be our last day in office.”
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India moving towards becoming global economic powerhouse: Kovind
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Amritsar (PTI): Former president Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that with digital transformation, economic reforms and a strong focus on the ease of doing business, India is moving towards becoming a global economic powerhouse.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 19th edition of the Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX) in Amritsar.
The former president said that this 19th edition of PITEX is being organised at a time when India is recognised as one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) the former president, while referring to Punjab, said the state is a living example of courage, sacrifice and enterprise.
"The spiritual light of Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) inspires peace and humanity across the world. The heritage of Punjab is deep and inspiring," Kovind said, according to a statement issued by the PITEX.
The former president congratulated the PHDCCI for hosting the 19th edition of PITEX and suggested that the chamber should expand PITEX outside Punjab.
He proposed that a similar event should also be held in New Delhi.
