Congress of Peru in the context of 2019–2020 Peruvian constitutional crisis


Congress of Peru in the context of 2019–2020 Peruvian constitutional crisis

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⭐ Core Definition: Congress of Peru

The Congress of the Republic (Spanish: Congreso de la República) is the unicameral body which exercises legislative power in Peru. Due to the broadly interpreted impeachment wording in the Constitution of Peru, the President of Peru can be removed by Congress without cause, effectively making the legislature more powerful than the executive branch. Following a ruling in February 2023 by the Constitutional Court of Peru, the body tasked with interpreting the Constitution of Peru and whose members are directly chosen by Congress, judicial oversight of the legislative body was also removed by the court, essentially giving Congress absolute control of Peru's government. Since the 2021 Peruvian general election, right wing parties have held a majority in the legislature. The largest represented leftist party in Congress, Free Peru, has subsequently aligned itself with conservative and Fujimorists parties within Congress due to their institutional power.

Congress's composition is established by Chapter I of Title IV of the Constitution of Peru. Congress is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts allocated to each region, as well as two special districts, Lima Province and Peruvian citizens living abroad, on a basis of population as measured by the Peruvian Census in multi-member districts. The number of voting representatives is fixed by the Constitution at 130. Pursuant to the 2017 Census, the largest delegation is that of Lima Province, with 36 representatives.

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👉 Congress of Peru in the context of 2019–2020 Peruvian constitutional crisis

The 2019–2020 Peruvian constitutional crisis occurred between September 30, 2019, and January 14, 2020, during the presidency of Martín Vizcarra. The crisis began when President Vizcarra dissolved the Congress of Peru, citing a constitutional provision after its de facto rejection of a vote of confidence. This disbanding marked the first time such power was used by the executive, and immediately after its announcement, opposition lawmakers accused Vizcarra of staging a coup. Subsequently, Peru’s Constitutional Court declared the dissolution of Congress legal, ending the crisis.

The crisis stemmed from tensions since 2016 between the executive and the legislature, with clashes over the anti-corruption reforms proposed by Vizcarra’s government. Efforts to reform the selection process for the Constitutional Court and combat corruption were blocked by Congress, particularly by the Popular Force party led by Keiko Fujimori. In response, Congress briefly declared the suspension of Vizcarra’s presidency and the appointment of Mercedes Aráoz as interim president, a move that quickly collapsed when Aráoz resigned the next day.

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Congress of Peru in the context of Constitutional Court of Peru

The Peruvian Constitutional Court or Constitutional Tribunal is an independent constitutional agency of Peru that was established in the 1993 Constitution of Peru that was created during the government of Alberto Fujimori. The court's members are nominated by the Congress of Peru; these nominations sometimes lack transparency and are based on political favors that nominees can provide to legislators. Since May 2022, the Constitutional Court has been used to provide institutional strength to Fujimorists in Congress, according to IDL-Reporteros.

The court's historical headquarters are located in the city of Arequipa but its national operative headquarters are located in the capital city of Lima. The Constitutional Court is the highest organ of constitutional control and interpretation in the country. It is an autonomous and independent organ that is only bound by the Peruvian Constitution and its Organic Law – Law N° 28301.

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Congress of Peru in the context of First impeachment of Martín Vizcarra

The impeachment process against Martín Vizcarra began in the Congress of Peru on 11 September 2020 when Congress initiated proceedings against Vizcarra on grounds of "moral incapacity", accusing him of influence peddling after audio recordings were released by an opposition legislator alleging that Vizcarra's political decisions were swayed by an obscure singer.

Vizcarra was impeached on 11 September 2020. He was eventually acquitted by Congress on 18 September 2020.

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Congress of Peru in the context of President of Peru

The president of Peru (Spanish: presidente del Perú), officially the constitutional president of the Republic of Peru (Spanish: presidente constitucional de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is the head of the executive branch and is the supreme head of the Armed Forces and National Police of Peru. The office of president corresponds to the highest magistracy in the country, making the president the highest-ranking public official in Peru. Due to broadly interpreted impeachment wording in the 1993 Constitution of Peru, the Congress of Peru can impeach the president without cause, effectively making the executive branch subject to the legislature.

The president is elected to direct the general policy of the government, work with the Congress of the Republic and the Council of Ministers to enact reform, and be an administrator of the state, enforcing the constitution, which establishes the presidential requirements, rights, and obligations. The executive branch is located at the Palacio de Gobierno, located in the historic center of Lima. The building has been used and occupied by the heads of state of Peru, dating back to Francisco Pizarro and the viceroys of Peru. The incumbent president is José Jeri. As president of the Congress, he was sworn into office on 10 October 2025 after his predecessor Dina Boluarte was impeached and removed from office.

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Congress of Peru in the context of 1992 Peruvian self-coup d'état

The 1992 Peruvian self-coup, sometimes known as the Fujimorazo, was performed in Peru in 1992 after President Alberto Fujimori dissolved the Congress as well as the judiciary and assumed full legislative and judicial powers. With the collaboration of the military, the Fujimori government arrested prominent opposition leaders and journalists, as well as seized government buildings.

Following the coup, the Fujimori government subsequently began to implement objectives of the Green Plan. Most Peruvian politicians, intellectuals and journalists criticized the coup, while security forces, most of the private business sector and a substantial part of the public supported Fujimori.

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