Peru impeaches president

Thousands of people crowded the streets of the capital city of Lima on Monday night and others banged pots to protest the ouster of President Martín Vizcarra. Some 105 of the 130 lawmakers in Congress voted to remove the president after an earlier attempt in September failed to garner enough support. Vizcarra assumed office in 2018 after former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned over corruption allegations.

Why was he ousted? Lawmakers accused Vizcarra of corruption during his tenure as governor back in 2014. They also pointed to Peru's ongoing recession and coronavirus infections. The nation of 32 million people has recorded more than 34,000 deaths, one of the highest per capita mortality rates for COVID-19. Vizcarra, who earned mass public support over his corruption crackdown, denied the accusations and warned his sudden removal could further destabilize the country.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Hannah Harris’ WORLD Magazine report on Americans stranded in Peru.