LIMA, Peru — Peru’s congress voted on Friday to begin impeachment hearings against President Martín Vizcarra over allegations of obstruction of justice, a move that could result in his swift removal from office just as the country faces one of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks. The political crisis was set off by the release in Congress on Thursday of audio recordings that appear to show the president instructing officials to lie about an influence-peddling scandal. The impeachment is the latest battle in the protracted standoff between Mr. Vizcarra, a popular centrist former governor, and a divided congress hostile to his attempts to pass anti-corruption measures and change the country’s judicial and political system. In January, the tension led to a snap congressional election. Now the standoff could interfere with the country’s response to the coronavirus.

Source: New York Times September 11, 2020 23:14 UTC