Peru Congress Ousts Dina Boluarte in Unanimous 124–0 Vote, Triggering Presidential Succession

In an “immediate” session convened under Article 89-A of Congress rules, Peru’s Parliament approved by 124 votes in favor, 0 against and 0 abstentions the removal of Dina Boluarte, formally declaring the presidency vacant. The resolution ends a nearly two-year administration marred by unpopularity, paralysis and institutional strain, and opens a new chapter of political uncertainty.

Vacancia is the declaration of the Congress that the presidential office is vacant. In practice, it amounts to a removal by congressional vote. In this case, lawmakers invoked “permanent moral incapacity” (a ground set out in Article 113 of Peru’s Constitution), which Congress has interpreted broadly.

Dina Boluarte’s ouster: the 124–0 vote and Peru’s political rupture

Dina Boluarte did not appear on the floor; her defense was led by attorney Juan Carlos Portugal, who accused Congress of violating due process and a reasonable time frame. “We will not endorse this!” he warned before the debate, signaling the defense would take the case “to the appropriate constitutional and supranational bodies.” The removal of Dina Boluarte also rekindles long-standing scrutiny, from the “Rolex case” to deaths during protests and a cabinet in constant disarray.

Dina Boluarte’s ouster: what comes next in the succession

With the removal approved, the constitutional line of succession under Article 115 is activated immediately: the president of Congress, José Jerí Oré (Somos Perú), must assume the Presidency of the Republic within hours. A lawyer by training, Jerí steps in amid controversy — he has faced prior complaints reported by the press — and will have to manage a transition with a Congress that projects power but also exhibits fatigue and disrepute.

The Constitutional Court’s ruling in August 2025 had paused prosecutorial investigations while the mandate lasted; the vacancy immediately reopens those case files, from the Rolex case to proceedings over deaths in the protests. Boluarte’s defense has already said it will appeal to the TC and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), arguing violations of the right to a defense, reasonable time limits and the duty to provide reasoned decisions.

The removal underscores the instability of Peru’s political system: six presidents in seven years, rapid-fire successions and a Congress that has turned the vacancy into an ordinary instrument of power. Peru enters another transition, with a legislature that devours its allies, a weakened presidency and an election calendar that shapes every decision.