Peru swears in third president in recent days as constitutional crisis abates News
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Peru swears in third president in recent days as constitutional crisis abates

Peru swore in another interim president on Tuesday after Manuel Merino resigned barely a week after entering into office. Fransisco Sagasti is the fourth president to ascend to power in Peru within a period of four years.

In 2016, Peru voters elected Pedro Pablo, who went on to resign in 2018 following accusations of corruption.

Martin Vizcarra, who was then the vice-president, was sworn in. During his tenure, he worked to fight corruption by seeking to remove corrupt lawmakers and this gained him little popularity among the legislators. He was impeached for lacking “moral capacity” and was accused of corruption.

His impeachment plunged the country into a political and constitutional crisis. Vizcarra had gained popularity among the people, and his impeachment sparked protests across the nation.

Merino was sworn in soon after Vizcarra’s impeachment. However, the protests continued, seeking his removal from office. These protests led to two deaths and multiple injuries. Lawmakers advised Merino to step down in order to quell the protests, and he resigned on Sunday.

After a vote by Congress, 76-year-old Sagasti was installed as interim president on Tuesday in a bid to stabilize the nation.

“Today is not a day of celebration,” Sagasti said. In his inaugural speech, he acknowledged and apologized for the price that had been paid to defend democracy and he expressed the desire to chart a path that will unify the country. His ascent to power has helped reduced tensions within the nation.

Sagasti is expected to remain in power until elections are carried out in April 2021.