Lawmakers in Peru voted to impeach President Pedro Castillo on Wednesday after he attempted to dissolve the legislature and replace it with an emergency cabinet.
The Peruvian Congress, which was in session on Wednesday, voted to remove Castillo from office, with 101 of the 130 members supporting the move. They announced that Vice President Dina Boluarte will become Peru’s new president, CNN reported.
The vote was seen as a message against Castillo who had announced early elections and had pushed a new constitution in a speech made from the presidential palace. Castillo’s stated intentions led to at least seven cabinet resignations, including the ministers of finance, foreign relations and finance, and angry reactions from senior officials.
Boluarte had also denounced Castillo’s attempt to dissolve Congress.
“I reject Pedro Castillo’s decision to perpetrate the breakdown of the constitutional order with the closure of Congress,” she said on Twitter. “It is a coup that aggravates the political and institutional crisis that Peruvian society will have to overcome with strict adherence to the law.”
“We encourage the Peruvian public to remain calm during this uncertain time,” she added.