Five Days In, Peru’s New President Jerí Faces a Street Reckoning

Thousands of people marched through central Lima on Wednesday, converging on Plaza San Martín and the streets around Congress to demand the resignation of interim President José Jerí, early elections, and action on crime and corruption.

Police used tear gas near Abancay Avenue and other downtown corridors to break up crowds.

By late evening, authorities reported more than 100 injured, dozens of them police officers, and confirmed the death of one protester. Public transport was disrupted in parts of Lima and Callao as clashes flared.

Jerí condemned violent acts while affirming the right to protest, visited injured officers, and promised an investigation.

A conservative and former head of Congress, he was sworn in just after midnight on October 10 following the legislature’s removal of Dina Boluarte for “permanent moral incapacity.”

He has pledged to lead a transitional government until July 2026, with general elections scheduled for April 2026, and has made a crackdown on extortion and street crime his top priority.

This week he installed a conservative cabinet led by former Constitutional Court president Ernesto Álvarez as prime minister.

Five Days In, Peru’s New President Jerí Faces a Street Reckoning

The story behind the story is years in the making. Peru has cycled through eight presidents in a decade, eroding public trust and leaving institutions brittle.

Before his succession, Jerí’s approval as congressional leader hovered in the low single digits, a sign of how little patience he would enjoy in the streets.

The latest mobilization grew from youth-led protests that intensified in recent weeks over policing abuses, corruption, and economic frustration, then shifted to the new interim government after Boluarte’s ouster.

Why this matters beyond Peru: Politics and policing will shape whether the government can restore order without further inflaming anger.

Extended turmoil risks delaying policy decisions and unsettling an economy that depends heavily on investment and minerals exports.

For households, businesses, and regional partners, the immediate test is whether Jerí can de-escalate confrontation while advancing a security agenda—and do so in a way that rebuilds confidence ahead of the 2026 vote.

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