Boluarte Says General Election May Be Brought Forward To December

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte has said she is considering bringing forward the general election to December, or sooner, as political instability continues in the face of widespread protests and a call from within the leftist bloc of Congress for her impeachment.

• Any changes to the general election date will need to be approved by Congress and elections could come sooner than December if Congress moves quickly.
• A group of 28 leftist lawmakers yesterday filed a motion to impeach Boluarte saying in the accompanying statement: "Never in the history of Peru has a government in so little time - a month in governance - killed more than forty people in protests."
• The motion to impeach requires 52 votes before it can be debated in Congress where it will need a supermajority of two-thirds to pass - seen as likely as Boluarte has lost the support of leftists.
• Political instability has accelerated after the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo in December. The office of Peru's ombudsman estimates that at least 47 people have died in clashes between police and protesters since Castillo left office.