Peru Congress approves Vizcarra impeachment motion over leaked tapes
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 2:05 PM UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO
Peru Congress approves Vizcarra impeachment motion over leaked tapes
By Maria Cervantes
3 MIN READ
LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra faced a fresh challenge to his leadership on Friday after Congress approved a motion to start impeachment proceedings against him over leaked audio tapes and alleged ties to a singer involved in a fraud case.
Whether to remove Vizcarra from office for moral incapacity is due to be debated and voted upon in the next week, which risks plunging the worlds second-largest copper producer further into crisis as it battles one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks globally amid its deepest recession in decades. Vizcarra vowed not to resign.
Fifty-two votes from the 130-member Congress were needed to approve the start of impeachment proceedings, and impeachment itself needs 87 votes in order to remove Vizcarra from office. Fridays vote was 65 in favor, 36 opposed and 24 abstentions.
Lawmakers in Perus Congress, a mosaic of parties from the left and right with no overall majority, heard recordings of two private conversations between Vizcarra and government officials about meetings with Richard Cisneros, a little-known singer.
Cisneros, who goes as Richard Swing, was awarded government contracts for motivational talks worth 175,400 soles ($49,500), which are being investigated by Congress and Perus auditor general along with claims of alleged links to the presidency.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-peru-politics-vizcarra/peru-congress-approves-vizcarra-impeachment-motion-over-leaked-tapes-idUSKBN2622OV