Peru’s interim president was removed from office Tuesday over corruption allegations, further destabilizing the country ahead of April’s presidential and congressional elections, according to reports.

José Jerí’s ouster follows an ongoing scandal called "Chifagate," in which he was allegedly filmed at an undisclosed meeting with a Chinese businessman who holds a concession for an energy project, the Associated Press reported.

Jeri was also said to have met with another business person, reportedly under investigation for alleged involvement in illegal logging.

Lawmakers removed him by voting to censure him as head of Congress, which needed only a simple majority and automatically stripped him of the presidency.

WHO IS THE POPULIST CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENT-ELECT IN COSTA RICA?
 

Jerí has said he will respect the outcome of the vote, has denied wrongdoing and will return to his role as a legislator, Reuters reported.

Tuesday’s ousting vote marks the latest twist in a prolonged political crisis that has seen seven presidents since 2016.

Jerí had assumed the post on Oct. 10, 2025, after the dismissal of his predecessor, Dina Boluarte.

Right-wing parties that had backed Boluarte withdrew support amid further corruption scandals. Since Boluarte had no vice president, Jerí, then head of Congress, was next in line.

Lawmakers will now elect a new head of Congress, who will also assume the presidency until July 28, 2026, when the winner of the April 12 election is sworn in.

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS PERU IT COULD LOSE SOVEREIGNTY AS CHINA TIGHTENS GRIP ON NATION

As the country heads toward the next vote, the presidential field remains crowded.

Conservative businessman Rafael López Aliaga currently leads in polls, while Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, is running second in most others.

Fujimori narrowly lost her last presidential bid, securing 49% of the vote in 2021. If no candidate wins more than 50% in April, the top two finishers will advance to a June runoff.

Rospigliosi said parties have until 6 p.m. local time to present candidates, and the legislature is expected to vote on a new president Feb. 18.

FIRST ON FOX: Chinese-funded infrastructure projects across the Pacific Islands may appear civilian on the surface but could provide future military access for Beijing, senior members of a bipartisan congressional advisory commission warned in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

Senior members of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said runways, ports and other facilities financed by the People’s Republic of China are often "dual use" and part of a broader strategic pattern that blends economic investment with long-term security objectives.

"When you see a broader trend of militarization of the region… you see a lot of activities that suggest there are at least some security and military-related interests involved," commission chair Randall Schriver said. "Even if it’s declared for civilian use… it is by its very character dual-use and could be used for military purposes."

CHINA INFILTRATES KEY PACIFIC TERRITORY OF MICRONESIA WITH INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS US URGED TO ACT

Schriver warned that China’s investments in the Pacific should not be viewed in isolation. "We know that China is very ambitious. We know that even civilian infrastructure projects often have strings attached," he said. "In many instances, those involve access for the Chinese military."

Commission Vice Chair Michael Kuiken said Beijing frequently pairs infrastructure financing with financial leverage. "There’s a cycle of debt diplomacy here," Kuiken said. "China loads these islands up with debt and then uses their position of weakness to gain access… to build runways, to do things with respect to ports."

"It’s a cycle that we see over and over again," he added, calling it "a flywheel of debt diplomacy. There’s a vicious rinse-and-repeat cycle here. And whether it’s Taiwan, Palau, Micronesia or the Solomon Islands, it is a playbook that the Chinese go back to every time."

CHINA’S GLOBAL AGGRESSION CHECK: TAIWAN TENSIONS, MILITARY POSTURING, AND US RESPONSE IN 2025

Schriver acknowledged Washington was slow to recognize the security implications of China’s expansion in the region.

"In a word, yes," he said when asked whether the U.S. reacted too slowly.

He noted the timing coincided with major U.S. military investments in Guam, even as Chinese projects advanced nearby. "While this was happening, the Chinese were making inroads in the Pacific Islands… with great proximity to Guam," he said, describing the island as central to U.S. logistics and combat operations.

Asked what would signal a shift from civilian infrastructure to operational military use, Schriver said some warning indicators are already visible.

"The practice of undersea cable cutting… has been very provocative," he said, describing it as activity that could be tied to military contingencies.

He also warned that visible deployments of Chinese military aircraft to Pacific facilities would mark a major escalation, citing a pattern previously seen in the South China Sea.

US TURNS TO FINLAND TO CLOSE ARCTIC ‘ICEBREAKER GAP’ AS RUSSIA, CHINA EXPAND POLAR PRESENCE

"We’ve seen a particular pattern that wouldn’t surprise us at all to see in other parts of Oceania," Schriver said.

Kuiken urged lawmakers to increase scrutiny and transparency. "The thing members can do most easily is just ask the intelligence community for imagery and for intelligence reports… raise the alarm, shine a light on it and expose the activities," he said.

Kuiken also revealed a future hearing focused on undersea infrastructure and security risks in the region.

"Data is the lifeblood of the global economy these days," he said. "Those cables are a vital source of information… and those are really quite aggressive actions and need to be exposed."

The commission has proposed a broader U.S. response, including increased Coast Guard cooperation and expanded support for Pacific Island nations to strengthen resilience against security threats and economic pressure.

Schriver referenced a "Pacific Island Security Initiative" recommendation aimed at combining economic, law enforcement and defense engagement.

Kuiken described the approach as "a layered cake." "We want there to be a civilian aspect… a law enforcement piece… and a military piece," he said. "You sort of need to do all of them in order to really be effective and really to combat the influence of the Chinese in this space."