New Peru president sworn in after impeachment of predecessor Pedro Castillo

 

Peru has a female president for the first time, after ex-president Pedro Castillo was impeached - hours after he tried to dissolve parliament.

Dina Boluarte - previously the vice-president - was sworn in after a dramatic day in Lima on Wednesday.Earlier in the day, Mr Castillo had said he was replacing Congress with an “exceptional emergency government”.But lawmakers ignored this, and in an emergency meeting impeached him.

He was then detained and accused of rebellion.Ms Boluarte, a 60-year-old lawyer, said she would govern until July 2026, which is when Mr Castillo’s presidency would have ended.Speaking after taking the oath of office, she called for a political truce to overcome the crisis which has gripped the country.“What I ask for is a space, a time to rescue the country,” she said.

Wednesday’s dramatic chain of events began with President Pedro Castillo giving an address on national television in which he declared a state of emergency.He announced that he would dissolve the opposition-controlled Congress, a move which was met with shock both in Peru - several ministers resigned in protest - and abroad.