In Midst Of Pandemic Crisis, Peru's Legislature Impeaches The Nation's President

Peru's unicameral legislature voted overwhelmingly Monday night to remove President Martín Vizcarra from office, condemning his management of the coronavirus pandemic and alleging he had taken bribes years ago while serving as a regional governor.

Vizcarra, in a speech to the legislature following his impeachment, denied the allegations but said he would not contest his removal and would leave the presidential palace for his private home by the end of the day. An earlier attempt to impeach Vizcarra in September failed.

"Because of his negligence and incapacity we've lost thousands of compatriots," lawmaker Robinson Gupioc said during the more than five hours of debate, according to The Associated Press.

Peru has one of the world's highest deaths per capita due to the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The South American country of 32 million is approaching one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and almost 35,000 dead.