Peru Appoints its Third President Within a Week Amid Protests

On Monday, Peru's legislature appointed the third president of the country within just a week in an attempt to stall increasing massive protests over the verdict of lawmakers to oust a famous president from office last week.

The country's latest president, Francisco Sagasti, addressed the nation and even vowed to help Peru step away from resentment and on to a "moment of happiness, of hope."

However, it is not anticipated that the action to nominate Sagasti, an engineer, educator, and first-time legislator, as the new president of the country, would automatically quench widespread anger against the lawmakers of Peru.

Many of those in Peru perceived politicians as unscrupulous, dishonest, and responsible for bringing political instability to the nation's ongoing public health and economic crises.

Merino resigned after five days in the position

Manuel Merino, the acting president of Peru, withdrew on Sunday after just five days in the position. His decision was prompted by almost a week of street protests in the country due to former President Martin Vizcarra's impeachment.

Right after the Congress ousted former President Martin Vizcarra on corruption allegations on Monday, Merino, who has been the President of Congress, was named interim president. The charges have been debunked by Vizcarra.

The impeachment of Vizcarra ignited nationwide protests beginning on Monday and lasted for six nights in-a-row, resulting in the death of two individuals as well as 94 others who have been badly hurt on Saturday night.

Vizcarra's impeachment

Just after the Congress decided to oust President Martín Vizcarra from power, Peru was plunged into political upheaval while the nation fights one of the world's deadliest coronavirus outbreaks.

The centrist president stated that he would not appeal the ruling in the courts in the face of public indignation at his dismissal and would resign immediately as head of state.

Many Peruvians marched through the streets and hit pans and pots through the night to express their outrage and resistance to the decision to oust Vizcarra on charges of corruption. The decision has taken the country by shock as it was anticipated that Vizcarra would withstand the vote.

Violent protests

On Monday night, hundreds have taken to the streets of Peru's city to condemn the expulsion of President Martín Vizcarra, maligning lawmakers and seeking their resignations. The impeachment has been criticized as a secret plot by many politicians who were not in Congress. Some have said that any new acting president should be viewed as unlawful.

"Today, I am leaving the government palace," Vizcarra had stated in a comment. "Today, I am going home."

Experts deemed legislators' intervention a blatant and dangerous theft of power, with Congress already controversial, though Vizcarra is widely admired for his anti-corruption crusade.

A political scientist from Harvard University who has researched Peru thoroughly, Steve Levitsky, had this to say: "To go after a president and destabilize the country's democracy in the middle of this type of crisis for no serious reason is beyond reckless."