Peru's president survives impeachment in Congress

Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra easily survived an impeachment vote Friday night after opposition lawmakers failed to amass enough support to oust the leader as the country copes with one of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks.

The decision came after long hours of debate in which legislators blasted Vizcarra but also questioned whether a rushed impeachment process would only create more turmoil in the middle of a health and economic crisis.

In the end, only 32 lawmakers voted to remove the president, while 78 voted against and 15 abstained.

A two-thirds majority was needed to oust Vizcarra.

Vizcarra made a surprise appearance at Congress after the start of the proceedings.

One hour into the session, he arrived and to address the men and women whom would soon be voting to oust him from the presidency on the grounds of "permanent moral incapacity".

"I'm convinced that congresswomen and congressman will make their democratic values prevail. It's grave to have the country immersed in this uncertainty," said Vizcarra on the Congress floor.

Opposition Purple Party Congressman Francisco Sagasti Hochhausler said he did not see it as a "timely" or "convenient" moment to seek to remove the president.

The political turmoil rocking Peru has briefly distracted attention from one of the world's worst coronavirus outbreaks and involves a cast of characters that could easily fit into a soap opera.

At the center of the ordeal is Vizcarra's relationship with a little-known musician known as Richard Swing and nearly $50,000 in questionable contracts that he was given by the Ministry of Culture for activities like motivational speaking.

A covert audio recording shared by Edgar Alarcón, a lawmaker himself charged with embezzlement, appears to show Vizcarra coordinating a defense strategy with two aides, trying to get their stories straight on how many times the musician had visited him.

Vizcarra insists no illegal activity took place and he has not been charged.

He tried to halt the impeachment by filing a lawsuit with the Constitutional Tribunal, but justices ruled Thursday that the process could proceed.

To what degree the current scandal could nonetheless taint the seven months he has left in office remains to be seen.

The president has no majority in Congress, a pandemic still to deal with and an economic contraction that has put millions into poverty.