2019–2020 Peruvian constitutional crisis

The 2019–2020 Peruvian constitutional crisis occurred between September 30, 2019, and January 14, 2020, during the presidency of Martín Vizcarra. The crisis began when President Vizcarra dissolved the Congress of Peru, citing a constitutional provision after its de facto rejection of a vote of confidence. This disbanding marked the first time such power was used by the executive, and immediately after its announcement, opposition lawmakers accused Vizcarra of staging a coup. Subsequently, Peru’s Constitutional Court declared the dissolution of Congress legal, ending the crisis.

The crisis stemmed from tensions since 2016 between the executive and the legislature, with clashes over the anti-corruption reforms proposed by Vizcarra’s government. Efforts to reform the selection process for the Constitutional Court and combat corruption were blocked by Congress, particularly by the Popular Force party led by Keiko Fujimori. In response, Congress briefly declared the suspension of Vizcarra’s presidency and the appointment of Mercedes Aráoz as interim president, a move that quickly collapsed when Aráoz resigned the next day.

Public reaction was generally favorable, as the move resonated with widespread dissatisfaction toward a Congress viewed as obstructive and corrupt. Vizcarra signed a decree that called for early legislative elections to be held on January 26, 2020.