Peru loses another presidentYesterday’s vote in Peru’s congress to remove interim president José Jerí from office after just four months means the country will today get its eighth leader in a decade. One of the world’s biggest copper producers, Peru’s economy grew by 3.4 per cent last year with inflation at just 1.7 per cent. The scandal surrounding Jerí’s dealings with Chinese businessmen comes amid heightened scrutiny of Peru’s relationship with China, which overtook the United States to become its biggest trading partner in 2015. China controls one of Peru’s biggest copper mines, buys 70 per cent of its copper, owns its largest electricity generators and accounts for 33 per cent of its trade, compared to the US’s 14 per cent. Let this be a cautionary tale for the region and the world: cheap Chinese money costs sovereignty,” the US state department said.

Source: The Irish Times February 18, 2026 14:11 UTC