The investigation threatens Jerí’s hold on power as Peru prepares for elections and underscores the chronic political instability that has destabilized the country for a decade.
Investigation Widens as Jerí Faces Removal Calls
Peru’s interim President José Jerí appeared before a congressional oversight committee Wednesday to address unregistered meetings with two Chinese business owners — encounters that have triggered a criminal investigation and calls for his removal.
The scandal marks the latest instability in a country that has seen seven presidents since 2016. Peru is now preparing for a general election in April amid widespread public outcry over violent crime.
The Meetings at Issue
Between late December and early January, Jerí met with business owner Yang Zhihua at a restaurant and a wholesale store. Jerí said he wanted to eat Chinese food and buy candy at the respective locations. Yang owns both establishments. Yang also secured a concession in 2023 to build a hydroelectric plant in the Andes that has not yet been delivered.
The president’s presence at the restaurant on the evening of December 26 — his head covered by a hood and carrying a bag — aroused suspicions from the opposition about possible irregularities.
Jerí also met with a second Chinese business owner, Ji Wu Xiaodong, who entered the presidential palace three times. Ji Wu is under house arrest and prohibited from leaving his home due to an investigation into alleged involvement with a criminal organization engaged in illegal logging in the Amazon.
Jerí said Ji Wu was merely “serving food” at the restaurant and remained silent during palace visits because “he doesn’t speak much Spanish.” However, Ji Wu is registered as a Chinese-to-Spanish translator in Peru’s ministry of foreign affairs.
Defense and Investigation
Jerí denied wrongdoing. In an interview Tuesday with Peruvian TV station América, he rejected calls for his resignation, characterizing the opposition’s actions as a “destabilizing” maneuver aimed at influencing the April 12 election.
Jerí said the meetings were intended to coordinate Peruvian-Chinese Friendship Day on February 1 — a nod to China’s status as Peru’s top trading partner.
Peru’s attorney general’s office launched a preliminary investigation against Jerí on allegations of influence peddling and illegal lobbying. Jerí sent a letter to Attorney General Tomás Gálvez indicating his “willingness to cooperate” with the investigation and to provide “statements and clarifications as needed.”
Broader Context
Jerí assumed power in October after Congress ousted President Dina Boluarte in a lightning overnight impeachment. The current scandal arrives as Peru faces escalating violence and prepares to elect a new government in less than three months.