Peruvian interim President Manuel Merino announced his resignation on Sunday as protests continue to roil the South American country.
Less than a week after being sworn in, Merino said he’d “acted within the law” when he succeeded the ousted President Martin Vizcarra. Protesters argued that the Congress attempted a parliamentary coup when it installed the former head of the Peruvian legislature, according to the Associated Press.
“I, like everyone, want what’s best for our country,” Merino said in a televised statement.
During Saturday night’s unrest, dozens of protesters were injured from what human rights groups say were from police using excessive force involving blunt force, tear gas, and projectiles to control the protests. They reported that more than 100 people were hurt, and 41 have not been located after the violence. At least two people died.
Peru’s Congress voted to remove Vizcarra on Monday. Lawmakers cited “unproven accusations of corruption and used an archaic constitutional clause that allows the Congress to declare the president morally incapable to lead the nation,” according to the New York Times. In addition to claiming he accepted more than $600,000 in bribes, legislators claimed that Vizcarra failed in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Peru has the highest per-capita COVID-19 mortality rate of anywhere in the world, according to the Associated Press, and the country “has seen one of Latin America’s worst economic contractions.”
As president of the Congress, Merino was next in the line of succession and was sworn in by Congress on Tuesday.
Vizcarra was a popular leader despite allegations of corruption. He was expected to step down following a presidential election in April 2021 and promised to “face justice” after leaving office. Prosecutors are investigating the allegations and have not drawn any conclusions. He gained support from a majority of Peruvians for what they saw as work to clean up a corrupt political class.
Before Merino’s announcement, a number of political figures urged him to step down. Thirteen of his 19 ministers left his newly formed government, according to the AP. The president of Congress told Merino to resign immediately, before he, too, was ousted.
“We should put above all else the lives of the Peruvian people,” said Luis Valdez, the president of Congress. Valdez also announced his own resignation.
