With the weekend’s resignation of its interim president, Peru plunged into a constitutional crisis that Kenneth Roberts, professor of comparative and Latin American politics at Cornell University, says is much more than just another cycle of political instability for the country.
“The resignation of Peru's Interim President Manuel Merino in response to mass protests against the earlier impeachment of President Martin Vizcarra is much more than another cycle of political instability in one of Latin America's most turbulent, corruption-plagued democracies.
“It also sends a powerful warning sign against the abuse of congressional impeachment powers, which lies at the heart of the current crisis. Like legislatures in Brazil and Paraguay, Peru's congress ‘weaponized’ the impeachment tool for transparently self-interested political goals—and Peruvian society has risen up to hold the ringleaders accountable.”
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