Second impeachment and removal of Martín Vizcarra

Quick Facts: Who was Second impeachment and removal of Martín Vizcarra?

Subject:

Second impeachment and removal of Martín Vizcarra

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Impeached and removed from the Peruvian presidency over corruption allegations in 2020.

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Origins & Early Life

The removal of Martín Vizcarra, president of Peru, was initiated by the Congress of Peru on 8 October 2020 under the grounds of "permanent moral incapacity". On 20 October 2020, political factions Union for Peru, Podemos Perú, and Broad Front co-signed a series of articles of impeachment against President Vizcarra for alleged cases of corruption during his term as the governor of Moquegua. Vizcarra was removed from office on 9 November 2020 in a 105–16 vote. Initially, the vote to start impeachment proceedings was scheduled for 31 October, but it was later extended to the first week of November. Finally it was decided that the vote and debate would be held on 2 November.

Career & Major Achievements

When the date arrived, impeachment was initiated with 60 votes in favor, 40 against and 18 abstentions. Vizcarra attended the plenary session in Congress on 9 November to defend himself against the accusations. After hearing the President's defense, Congress debated and approved the removal of Vizcarra due to moral incapacity with 105 votes in favor, surpassing the 87 out of 130 vote supermajority threshold required to convict a political official. Vizcarra became the third president to have been successfully impeached and removed from office, along with Guillermo Billinghurst (1914) and Alberto Fujimori (2000). Along with his predecessor Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and current U.S. President Donald Trump, he is one of three heads of state to be impeached twice.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The controversial removal of Vizcarra was defined as a coup by many Peruvians, political analysts and media outlets in the country, resulting with the beginning of the 2020 Peruvian protests. Reported involvement of the ethnocacerist politician Antauro Humala and the introduction of charges by his party Union for Peru in both impeachment trials also raised concerns about the motives of removing Vizcarra. Article 113, Section 1 of the Constitution of Peru establishes five possible reasons under which the President of the Republic can leave office: Death of the President, Permanent moral or physical incapacity, as declared by Congress, Resignation, Leaving national territory without permission from Congress or not returning within the approved period, or Dismissal, after having been sanctioned for any of the offenses mentioned in Article 117 of the Constitution. As of 2020, there was no procedure that clearly established the conditions in which the "moral incapacity" clause in impeachment can be applied, which is why the Constitutional Court Judgment No. 0006- 2003-AI / TC established as a criterion that the removal of the president of the republic could only be approved with a qualified vote of at least two thirds of the legal number of congressmen, urging Congress to legislate on the matter in order to fill the legal void then existing. In response to this, by means of Legislative Resolution of Congress No. 030-2003-CR, article 89-A was introduced in the Congress Regulations.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1914: 1914 Milestone — Vizcarra became the third president to have been successfully impeached and removed from office, along with Guillermo Billinghurst (1914) and Alberto Fujimori (2000).
2. 2003: 2003 Milestone — 0006- 2003-AI / TC established as a criterion that the removal of the president of the republic could only be approved with a qualified vote of at least two thirds of the legal number of congressmen, urging Congress to legislate on the matter in order to fill the legal void then existing.
3. 2020: 2020 Milestone — The removal of Martín Vizcarra, president of Peru, was initiated by the Congress of Peru on 8 October 2020 under the grounds of "permanent moral incapacity".

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Second impeachment and removal of Martín Vizcarra

True or False: “The supermajority threshold required to convict a political official during an impeachment trial was exactly two-thirds of the total number of congressmen.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The constitutional requirement established by Congress Regulations No. 030-2003-CR set this minimum at 87 votes out of 130 members.

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