LIMA (Realist English). Peru’s largest congressional bloc has thrown its weight behind a new bid to impeach President Dina Boluarte, marking the most serious challenge yet to her presidency as public anger mounts over escalating violence and government inaction.
The right-wing Popular Force party said on X that it would support the impeachment motion following a shooting at a Lima concert by the popular cumbia band Agua Marina on Wednesday night. No one was killed, but the attack has become a symbol of rising lawlessness in the capital and nationwide.
“Peru cannot continue to be consumed by insecurity and lack of leadership,” the bloc said. “Even though there is little time left in her presidency, we cannot allow for a single new victim.”
According to La República, opposition lawmakers now have enough votes to advance impeachment proceedings. Boluarte, who assumed power in late 2022 after the ouster of Pedro Castillo, has already survived several removal attempts — but analysts say this one may be different.
Popular Force, led by Keiko Fujimori, controls 23 of 130 seats in congress and had until now been one of Boluarte’s key allies, even during scandals such as the Rolex watch controversy that triggered a national uproar earlier this year.
Boluarte’s popularity has collapsed, with an Ipsos poll showing just 3% approval in September and a 96% disapproval rate. Her recent advice to bus drivers to ignore calls from unknown numbers — intended to combat extortion rackets — drew widespread mockery.
The president has pledged to remain in office until her term ends in mid-2026. But as contract killings, gang violence, and extortion schemes surge across the country, political observers warn that Peru’s fragile democracy may be headed for yet another leadership crisis.
