After less than two years in office, Peru’s president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has resigned over a vote-buying scandal.
The embattled 79-year-old continued to deny wrongdoing as he stepped down, stating that he did not want to be an obstacle to the country’s development.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He insisted: “I categorically reject these unsubstantiated claims and reaffirm my commitment to an honest, moral and fair Peru for everyone.”
The resignation of Kuczynski, a former Wall Street banker who studied at Oxford University, will be formally voted on by Peru’s Congress. The Peruvian Constitution states that Vice-President Martin Vizcarra will become acting president in his place.
The vote-buying scandal comes hot on the heels of a separate scandal in which Kuczynski was accused of receiving illegal payments from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. There was also outrage when the Peruvian leader pardoned former President Alberto Fujimori, who had been convicted of human rights violations.
According to the New York Times, the resignation “does not bode well for Latin America”, where Peru’s economic stability is at variance with the country’s “growing political turmoil”.
Attention now turns to Brazil where former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could be sent to jail over corruption allegations.
-
Confessions of a Brain Surgeon: an 'exceptional' documentaryThe Week Recommends Retired neurosurgeon Henry Marsh reflects on his pioneering work with exquisitely 'raw honesty'
-
A new subtype of diabetes was found and it may require different treatmentUnder the radar It is prevalent in Black Africans and Americans
-
Crossword: August 20, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
