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José Jerí

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In this Hispanic American name, the first or paternal surname is Jerí and the second or maternal family name is Oré.

José Jerí
Official portrait, 2025
65th President of Peru
In office
10 October 2025 – 17 February 2026
Prime MinisterEduardo Arana Ysa
Ernesto Álvarez Miranda
Vice President
  • First Vice President
    Vacant
  • Second Vice President
    Vacant
Preceded byDina Boluarte
Succeeded byJosé María Balcázar
President of Congress
In office
26 July 2025 – 17 February 2026[a]
Vice President1st Vice President
Fernando Rospigliosi
2nd Vice President
Waldemar Cerrón
3rd Vice President
Ilich López
Preceded byEduardo Salhuana
Succeeded byFernando Rospigliosi (acting)
Member of Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 February 2026
ConstituencyLima
In office
26 July 2021 – 10 October 2025
Preceded byMartín Vizcarra
ConstituencyLima
Personal details
BornJosé Enrique Jerí Oré
(1986-11-13) 13 November 1986 (age 39)
Lima, Peru
PartyWe Are Peru (2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (before 2014)
Alma mater

José Enrique Jerí Oré[b] (born 13 November 1986) is a Peruvian politician and lawyer who served as the 65th president of Peru from 2025 until his removal on 17 February 2026, following the impeachment and removal of his predecessor Dina Boluarte.[1] Prior to assuming the presidency, Jerí was president of the Congress of the Republic from July to October 2025, having been a member of Congress of the Republic representing Lima for the We Are Peru party since 2021.[2][3] He was the tenth Peruvian president to hold office in less than a decade, and, at the age of 38, the third youngest and the first millennial to serve as President of Peru.[1]

First elected to the Congress of the Republic as an alternate for Martín Vizcarra, who had been disqualified from his seat for allegedly jumping the line to get a COVID-19 vaccine ("Vacunagate"),[4] Jerí held office as a member of the centrist We Are Peru party. On 26 July 2025, he was elected as President of the Congress of the Republic for the 2025–2026 annual session period with the votes of Free Peru, Popular Force, Alliance for Progress, Acción Popular, Avanza País, and We Are Peru.[1][5]

After the unanimous impeachment and removal of Boluarte on 10 October 2025 amidst the 2025 Peruvian protests, Jerí assumed the presidency in his capacity as head of the legislative branch.[6] In his inaugural speech, Jerí pledged to "install and lead a government of transition, empathy, and national reconciliation", and said that the nation "must declare war on crime".[6][7]

The Peruvian Congress approved the censuring of Jerí from the position of president of Peru under a vote of no confidence on 12 February 2026. Unlike impeachment, which requires a supermajority of 26 in the 120-member legislature, censuring strips him of his title as head of Congress with a simple majority. His interim status was then used to remove him from the presidency.[8] Jerí became the sixth president removed by Congress after Guillermo Billinghurst (1925), Alberto Fujimori (2001), Martín Vizcarra (2019), Pedro Castillo (2022), and Boluarte (2025). He was the fourth president to be removed in the 2020s.[9][10]

Early life and education

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José Jerí was born on 13 November 1986, in the Jesús María District, located in the city of Lima. He graduated from the Federico Villarreal National University (UNFV), where he earned his bachelor's degree in Law in 2014. The following year, he earned his law degree from the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega University.[7]

He held various positions in the Ancash Regional Government from 2020 to 2021, also serving as Secretary General. He was an advisor to the We Are Peru caucus in the Congress of the Republic in 2020.[11]

Political career

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Since 2013, he has been affiliated with the political party We Are Peru. As a member, he served as youth secretary and alternate legal representative. He is currently the party's first vice president since September 2021.[12]

His first political participation took place in the 2013 Lima municipal elections as a candidate for the Lima Municipality council with the backing of Fernando Andrade [es], though Jerí was not elected. He ran again unsuccessfully in the 2014 elections.[13] From November 2015 to April 2016, he was a delegate and member of the Alliance for the Progress of Peru coalition led by César Acuña because the party he belonged to, We Are Peru, was a member of said electoral alliance.[citation needed]

Congressman of the Republic

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In the 2021 parliamentary elections, José Jerí ran for the Congress of the Republic on behalf of We Are Peru in the Lima Metropolitan electoral list of, running as number 3 on the candidate list. Despite obtaining only 11,654 preferential votes, Jerí managed to be elected as a congressman of the republic for the 2021–2026 parliamentary term due to the disqualification of winning candidate Martín Vizcarra, a former president who obtained 208,387 preferential votes in the election, from holding any public office.[14]

In July 2021, he ran for president of Congress for the 2021–2022 term, but was unsuccessful.[15]

During the third presidential impeachment process against Pedro Castillo, Jerí voted in favour of declaring moral incapacity of Pedro Castillo. The vacancy was approved by 101 parliamentarians on 7 December 2022.[citation needed]

He served as president of the Budget Committee during the 2023–2024 legislative year. He served as spokesperson for the We Are Peru party. He was one of the congressmen who supported the dismissal of the fiscal investigations into Dina Boluarte.[16]

On 26 July 2025, he was elected as President of the Congress of the Republic for the 2025–2026 annual session period with the votes of Free Peru, Popular Force, Alliance for Progress, Acción Popular, Avanza País and We Are Peru.[1][5]

Following his controversial election as President of Congress due to his background, Jerí stated in an interview with the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio in August that he would refrain from assuming the presidency of the executive branch, according to the constitutional line of succession, in the event that Boluarte were removed from office by Congress. He expressed the following for such a scenario (translated from Spanish):[17][18]

"I was elected to be President of Congress. I'm not going to say I'm unaware of the procedures of constitutional succession, right? But from my perspective, the presidency should be constitutionally renewed on July 28, 2026. If that scenario you mention were to occur, I would personally refrain from assuming it."[17][18]

Presidency (2025–2026)

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Main article: Presidency of José Jerí
Peruvians protesting on 15 October 2025

Amidst the 2025 Peruvian protests and after the unanimous impeachment and removal of Dina Boluarte on 10 October 2025, owing to persistent political scandals throughout her presidency and a mismanaged crime wave earlier in the month, José Jerí immediately ascended as President of Peru. With Boluarte having no vice presidents, Jerí, as president of the legislature, stood next in the line of succession established in the Peruvian Constitution.[6][19][20] He became the eighth individual to serve as President since the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2018, a span of just over seven years.[21]

In his inaugural speech, Jerí pledged to "install and lead a government of transition, empathy, and national reconciliation", and said that the nation "must declare war on crime".[6][7]

Despite the removal of President Dina Boluarte, the Congress of the Republic rejected a motion of censure against prime minister Eduardo Arana Ysa, meaning that the Boluarte cabinet carried over into the presidency of José Jerí.[1]

Jerí with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on 12 December 2025

Protests against Jerí grew due to allegations of sexual assault.[22] He refused to resign, stating "My responsibility is to maintain the stability of the country."[23]

On 15 October, massive demonstrations in major cities across the country denounced the explosion of crime and "corrupt elites", demanding the resignation of the president and Congress. In Lima, the protest ended in violence. One protester was killed by a plainclothes police officer and around 100 people were injured. The government declared a state of emergency on 21 October, officially to combat crime but, according to its critics, to prevent the protests from continuing.[24][25]

On 28 November, Jerí declared a state of emergency in areas along the Chile–Peru border in response to an influx of migrants exiting Chile,[26] predominantly Venezuelans. Large numbers of Venezuelans attempted to leave Chile and enter Peru following threats of mass expulsion from Chilean President-elect José Antonio Kast.[27]

Censure

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Main article: Censure of José Jerí

On 14 February 2026, it was announced that Jerí was under investigation for illicit enrichment for a second time. He was accused of influence peddling after the revelation of secretive meetings with Chinese businessmen outside of any official framework.[28] Three days later, on 17 February, Jerí was removed from the presidency by the Peruvian Congress in a 75–24 vote, with 3 abstentions, following a motion of censure approved weeks before the general elections.[29] He was removed as President of Congress after he failed to disclose meetings with Chinese businessmen who were under government scrutiny.[8] He was only president for four months.[30] José María Balcázar was sworn in as his successor.[31]

Controversies

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COVID-19 celebration scandal

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In February 2022, during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, Jerí was photographed entering a bar in the Miraflores district with a young woman who worked as an assistant in his congressional office, to celebrate the birthday of Claudia Llanos Vidal, an official from the municipality of La Molina. According to reports, Jerí was seen drinking with guests and disregarding social-distancing rules despite a decree from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers enforcing restrictions due to the pandemic.[32][33]

Alleged sexual assault case

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In January 2025, Jerí was formally accused of sexual assault following a New Year's Eve party in Canta. The alleged incident took place at the Santa Rosa Casa Club in Quives on 29 December 2024, where Jerí was with a group of friends. Among the guests was Marco Antonio Cardoza Hurtado, who had arrived with a 31-year-old woman (the complainant) and another person. According to the complainant, she lost consciousness that afternoon and later woke up with pain in her intimate parts. The complaint identified both Jerí and Cardoza as suspects.[1][34][35]

The Civil Court of Canta admitted the complaint, issued protective measures for the alleged victim, and ordered Jerí to undergo psychological treatment for impulsive and pathological sexual behavior. Despite being temporarily suspended by his party, he reportedly failed to comply with the court order for more than five months. As a result, Attorney General Delia Espinoza filed a separate complaint for disobedience to authority, citing Article 368 of the Criminal Code.[36]

On 12 August 2025, the Public Prosecutor's Office, now led by Tomás Gálvez, dismissed the case against Jerí for the alleged assault after determining there was insufficient evidence to proceed. It was also reported that Cardoza Hurtado, the other suspect, had left Peru for France on 4 February without notifying prosecutors and failed to appear for the collection of biological samples.[37][38]

Alleged illicit enrichment

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The television program Milagros Leiva, entrevista reported an alleged case of illicit enrichment involving Jerí, noting a sharp increase in his declared assets. In 2021 he declared ownership of two vehicles worth S/ 97,000 soles, but by 2024 he reportedly owned properties valued at more than one million soles.[36][39][40]

Alleged bribery accusation

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The investigative television program Panorama alleged that Jerí had received a bribe of S/ 150,000 soles from a businesswoman named Blanca Ríos. The alleged payment took place in November 2023, when Jerí chaired the congressional budget committee, in connection with the approval of public works projects under the portfolio of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. According to Ríos's testimony, the payment was made to secure funding for an irrigation project in the Cajamarca region. The case also implicated congresswoman Ana Zegarra, spokesperson for the We Are Peru party, and Nahum Hidalgo, an advisor to the Somos Perú parliamentary group. Jerí denied the accusation, stating he had no connection with the person involved and declared that he would cooperate with all investigations.[41][42][43]

Political views

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Jerí is described as conservative,[44] populist[45][46] and pragmatic.[47] Jerí describes himself as neither right nor left but rather as supportive of pragmatic politics.[48] Jerí supports animal rights.[49] He is in favour of economic liberalism,[48] which can be seen in his economic policies where he is pro-deregulation,[47] as well as pro-private investment.[50]

Notes

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  1. ^ On leave: 10 October 2025 – 17 February 2026
  2. ^ Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse enˈrike xeˈɾi oˈɾe].

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Mandujano, Edgar (10 October 2025). "José Jerí Oré: el presidente improbable" [José Jerí Oré: the unlikely president]. Caretas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  2. ^ "¿Quién es José Jerí, el nuevo presidente del Congreso?" [Who is José Jerí, the new president of Congress?]. Caretas (in Spanish). 26 July 2025. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  3. ^ "José Jerí es el nuevo presidente del Congreso: las bancadas que lo apoyaron y cómo fue la votación en el Parlamento" [José Jerí is the new president of Congress: the caucuses that supported him and how the vote went in Parliament] (in Spanish). Infobae. 26 July 2025. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Peru's Vizcarra banned from public office over vaccine scandal". Al Jazeera. 17 April 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b Loo, Wendy Milla (26 July 2025). "José Jerí, new president of Congress [PROFILE]". rpp.pe (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d Aquino, Marco; Morland, Sarah (10 October 2025). "Peru Congress ousts president, successor vows 'war on crime'". Reuters. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Ortiz, Andy (10 October 2025). "¿Quién es José Jerí, el inesperado nuevo presidente de Perú?" [Who is José Jerí, the unexpected new president of Peru?]. CNN en Español (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Peru Congress ousts president because of China-linked secret meetings". NBC News. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026. While the current head of Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, would be constitutionally next in the line of succession, he has declined to assume the presidency. As such, legislators will have to elect a new head of Congress who will then automatically assume the presidency.
  9. ^ "Peru Ousts President, Again". The New York Times. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Peru's congress votes to oust President Jeri". Reuters. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  11. ^ "View of the Candidate's Resume". JNE – Electoral Platform. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2024.[dead link]
  12. ^ "José Jerí Oré – Party History". Infogob. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  13. ^ "José Jerí Oré – Electoral Processes". Infogob. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  14. ^ "2021 Elections: Who is José Jeri, who will enter Congress after Martín Vizcarra's disqualification?". RPP Noticias. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Congress: List 3 was excluded from the election of the Board of Directors". Andina (in Spanish). 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  16. ^ "José Jerí, new president of Congress, shielded Dina Boluarte from accusations of deaths in protests". Radio Onda Azul (in Spanish). 26 July 2025. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  17. ^ a b Oré Arroyo, Carlos (10 October 2025). "José Jerí said he would refuse to assume the presidency but was sworn in after Dina Boluarte's removal". Infobae (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  18. ^ a b Leiva, Milagros (25 August 2025). "José Jerí: "No me han facultado para poner dictámenes de la noche a la mañana"". El Comercio (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Archived from the original on 24 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  19. ^ Calderón, Martín (10 October 2025). "José Jerí swears in as president of the Republic due to the vacancy of Dina Boluarte". El Commerce (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  20. ^ Espinoza, Analí (10 October 2025). "Dina Boluarte is vacated due to "permanent moral incapacity" by the Congress of Peru". infobae (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  21. ^ Mandujano, Edgar (10 October 2025). "Dina Boluarte, vacada: 8 presidentes en 9 años – Caretas Política". Caretas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  22. ^ Mendivelso, Sergio Andrés Gamboa (15 October 2025). "Reportan heridos por enfrentamientos en medio de manifestaciones en contra del Congreso y Presidencia interina de José Jerí en Lima, Perú" [Injuries reported from clashes amid demonstrations against Congress and interim presidency of José Jerí in Lima, Peru]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  23. ^ Caretas (16 October 2025). "Defensoría: Protestas en Lima dejan un muerto y 102 personas heridas" [Ombudsman: Protests in Lima leave one dead and 102 injured]. Caretas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 October 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  24. ^ Collyns, Dan (25 October 2025). "'We'll march as many times as necessary': Peru's youth protesters defy state of emergency" – via The Guardian.
  25. ^ "Peru's president declares state of emergency in capital as it tries to stem surging violence". AP News. 23 October 2025. Archived from the original on 22 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Peru to declare state of emergency to block Chile border crossings". Al Jazeera. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  27. ^ "Peru's president to declare border state of emergency to prevent entry of undocumented migrants". Reuters. 28 November 2025.
  28. ^ "Peru to debate removal of President Jose Jeri four months into his term". Al Jazeera. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Peru's President José Jerí ousted, marking eighth change in leader in less than a decade". CNN. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  30. ^ "Peru Ousts President, Again". The New York Times. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  31. ^ Elliot; Siniawski, Lucinda; Natalia. "Peru installs Jose Balcazar as interim president after Jeri ousted in political upheaval". Reuters. Retrieved 19 February 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ "El "after office" del congresista José Jerí" [The 'after office' of Congressman José Jerí]. El Foco (in Spanish). 8 February 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  33. ^ "Captan a congresista José Jerí celebrando en bar sin respetar protocolos ante la COVID-19" [Congressman José Jerí caught celebrating in a bar without following COVID-19 protocols]. La República (in Spanish). 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  34. ^ "La copa rota del congresista de Somos Perú José Jerí" [The broken glass of Somos Perú congressman José Jerí]. Perú 21 (in Spanish). 14 January 2025. Archived from the original on 18 November 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  35. ^ Giraldo, Clara (10 January 2025). "José Jerí, denunciado por presunta violación sexual: lo que se sabe del caso y la investigación de la Fiscalía" [José Jerí, accused of alleged sexual assault: what is known about the case and the Prosecutor's Office investigation]. infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  36. ^ a b "Los pasivos de José Jerí en su camino a la presidencia Congreso" [José Jerí's liabilities on his path to the presidency of Congress]. Perú 21 (in Spanish). 25 July 2025. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  37. ^ Ore, Diego Casimiro (16 August 2025). "Amigo de José Jerí investigado por presunta violación sexual salió del país antes de que el PJ lo impidiera" [Friend of José Jerí investigated for alleged sexual assault left the country before the judiciary could prevent it]. Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  38. ^ "José Jerí se reunió con Tomás Gálvez, quien le archivó la denuncia de violación sexual" [José Jerí met with Tomás Gálvez, who dismissed his sexual assault complaint]. Crónica Viva (in Spanish). 26 September 2025. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  39. ^ Quilca Catacora, Mariana (26 July 2025). "José Jerí es el nuevo presidente del Congreso: perfil, antecedentes y denuncias" [José Jerí is the new president of Congress: profile, background, and accusations]. Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 30 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  40. ^ Quilca Catacora, Mariana (25 July 2025). "José Jerí es el nuevo presidente del Congreso: cuestionamientos de los nuevos integrantes de la Mesa Directiva" [José Jerí is the new president of Congress: objections from the new members of the Board of Directors]. Infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  41. ^ Quilca Catacora, Mariana (26 July 2025). "APP exige explicaciones a José Jerí por denuncia de coima de S/ 150 mil: "Tiene que aclarar"" [APP demands explanations from José Jerí over S/150,000 bribery accusation: 'He must clarify']. Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  42. ^ Arroyo, Pamela (27 July 2025). "José Jerí rechaza investigación por pago de coimas en su contra: "Tengo la consciencia tranquila"" [José Jerí rejects investigation over alleged bribes against him: 'My conscience is clear]. La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  43. ^ "Denuncian que José Jerí sabía del pago de coimas para una obra" [It is alleged that José Jerí knew about the payment of bribes for a public works project]. Perú 21 (in Spanish). 28 July 2025. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  44. ^ "Who is Jose Jeri, the young president who inherits a troubled Peru?". kathmandupost.com. 11 October 2025. Archived from the original on 17 November 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  45. ^ "Peru's interim leader José Jerí embraces the spotlight in 'war' on crime". Buenos Aires Times. 13 November 2025.
  46. ^ Vega, Renzo Gómez (11 November 2025). "Peru's interim president, José Jerí, is on a campaign to save his image". EL PAÍS English. Archived from the original on 13 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  47. ^ a b Lopez, Matias Sebastian (6 November 2025). "José Jerí's Gamble: Can Peru's New President End the Chaos and Restore Stability?".
  48. ^ a b Joselo Digital. "José Jeri explica su ideología: economía libre, estado fuerte y pragmatismo" – via YouTube.
  49. ^ Team, Editorial (10 October 2025). "Who is José Jerí: the congressman who assumed the presidency of Peru". Archived from the original on 22 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  50. ^ PERÚ, Empresa Peruana de Servicios Editoriales S. A. EDITORA (30 October 2025). "President of Peru Jose Jeri reaffirms commitment to economic stability and fiscal soundnes". andina.pe. Archived from the original on 22 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
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