Dina Boluarte became Peru’s first female President on Wednesday, capping off a dramatic day which saw her predecessor impeached and arrested for the alleged crime of rebellion.
The ceremony took place hours after a majority of 101 members in the 130-person legislative body voted to impeach former leader Pedro Castillo.
The tumultuous day began when then-President Castillo announced plans to dissolve Congress, install an emergency government, and bring about parliamentary elections to work on a new constitution — all ahead of a looming impeachment vote by lawmakers, which Peru’s Ombudsman described as an “attempted coup d’état.”
Peruvian armed forces rejected Castillo’s attempt to sideline lawmakers, calling it an “infringement of the constitution” and Boluarte herself called Castillo’s dissolution plan a “coup.”
International officials, including from US and Brazil, also condemned Castillo’s actions before he was impeached.
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