Peru Interim President Manuel Merino Resigns Amid Country's Worst Civil Unrest in Decades
Earlier, 13 out 19 Ministers who had sworn-in as part of the Merino government also stepped down. The President, who had taken up the charge on an interim purpose following the no-confidence motion against his Martín Vizcarra, was under intense pressure to resign over the past 48 hours.
Lima, November 15: Manuel Merino , who took over as Peru's President four days ago, rendered his resignation on Sunday amidst the worst civil unrest which the South American country has seen in decades. Merino's statement, confirming his exit from the helm of government, was issued shortly after protests skyrocketed over the killing of two demonstrators. Trump Says 'I Concede Nothing' After Deleting Tweet That Acknowledges Biden's Win in US Elections.
Earlier, 13 out of 19 Ministers who had sworn-in as part of the Merino government also stepped down. The President, who had taken up the charge on an interim purpose following the no-confidence motion against his predecessor Martín Vizcarra, was under intense pressure to resign over the past 48 hours.
Peru could be staring towards a constitutional crisis as Luis Valdez, the current head of Congress who is next in line to become President, is himself considering to resign from his position as the chief of Legislature.
The impasse erupted in Peru after the country's popular President Vizcarra was booted out from his Office by the all-powerful Congress. He was charged of "permanent moral incapacity" by majority of the lawmakers, citing his "poor handling" of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corruption allegations levelled against him.
The graft accusations date back to nearly a decade ago, when Vizcarra the governor of a province in South Peru. He was charged of accepting bribes from construction companies amounting to $630,000. While no chargesheet has been filed yet, a court on Friday ordered Vizcarra to not to leave the country for 18 months as the probe is underway.
Protesters stormed to the streets to demonstrate against what they described a "parliamentary coup" against Vizcarra. A section of the country's academia and intelligentsia have also backed the agitation, which is seeking his reinstatement as the country's President. The ousted leader, in a statement issued earlier today, said "the country won’t let the deaths of these brave youths go unpunished".
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 15, 2020 11:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).