Peru's Congress leader Jose Jeri was sworn in as the country's president early on Friday, shortly after the Congress removed former President Dina Boluarte from office.

Peru's lawmakers demanded Boluarte appear at a Congress session to defend herself before voting to approve her impeachment on Thursday night. But Boluarte did not attend the meeting. The Congress passed the impeachment against her shortly afterwards.

Jeri signaled he would take a tough approach on rising insecurity, one of the major criticisms that was leveled against Boluarte. He addressed Congress wearing a sash of the national flag.

"The main enemy is out there on the streets: criminal gangs," he said. "We must declare war on crime."

(With input from agencies)