Peru's political chaos reaches a boiling point amid a spiraling crime crisis. In a dramatic and swift move, Peru's Congress voted overwhelmingly to remove President Dina Boluarte from power, citing her administration’s failure to tackle a rampant wave of criminal activity shaking the nation.
Members of the 130-seat unicameral Congress approved four separate motions to oust Boluarte, easily surpassing the minimum 56 votes needed for each. This legislative action triggered an impeachment process that unfolded rapidly over the course of one tense evening.
Despite being summoned to address the Congress late on Thursday night, Boluarte did not show up to defend herself, prompting an almost unanimous vote of 124 lawmakers to impeach her just after midnight. This marked a stunning and unprecedented shift in Peru’s political landscape.
The crisis exploded only hours after a shocking incident at a concert featuring Agua Marina, one of Peru’s most beloved cumbia bands, where a gunman opened fire, injuring five attendees. The shooting deeply intensified public outrage over the swelling crime rates gripping the country.
What makes this event even more significant is that, unlike previous eight failed attempts to remove Boluarte, the current impeachment enjoyed broad support across nearly all political factions — revealing the depth and breadth of dissatisfaction with her leadership.
Boluarte ascended to the presidency in December 2022 after Congress impeached her predecessor using the same legal approach. Since then, her government has wrestled unsuccessfully with surging crime issues, notably rising homicide rates and extortion cases. Adding fuel to the fire, Boluarte recently pointed a finger at undocumented immigrants, suggesting they have exacerbated the problem by entering the country unchecked.
At a military event, she claimed, "This crime crisis has been decades in the making, greatly intensified by illegal immigration, which previous administrations ignored. Instead of addressing it, they threw open our borders, letting criminals roam freely without restriction."
Government statistics reveal that between January and mid-August, homicides reached 6,041—the highest figure for that period since 2017. Extortion complaints also surged, with 15,989 cases reported between January and July, marking a 28% increase from the same timeframe the previous year.
The vaccination to a presidential emergency, however, was not just about soaring crime figures. The controversial timing, right after a concert shooting, exposed the fragile state of public safety and trust in the current government.
Prime Minister Eduardo Arana attempted a robust defense of Boluarte in a crime-focused parliamentary hearing on Thursday, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity. Yet his words did little to stem the tide of impeachment momentum.
"Parliament’s worries can’t be quieted by merely contesting the impeachment request, much less by approving it," Arana remarked candidly. "We’re not clinging to power at any cost. From day one, we understood that serving in this position could be fleeting."
This rapid political upheaval poses one of the most volatile chapters in Peru’s recent history, stirring debate about how crime, immigration, and governance intersect. But here’s where it gets controversial: To what extent is Boluarte’s government truly responsible for decades-long security failures? Can removing her address root causes, or is it merely a symbolic act amid systemic challenges?
And this is the part most people miss—are the growing crime waves purely a law enforcement crisis, or are they a symptom of deeper social, economic, and political troubles that no quick political fix can solve?
What do you think? Was Congress justified in acting so swiftly against Boluarte, or is this yet another example of political theatrics that leaves the real problems untouched? Share your thoughts below and join the discussion.
