Supporters of Peru's president protest against 'coup'

World
Europe

Thousands of Peruvians descended on downtown Lima to march against what they say is an illegitimate attempt to push the country's president out of office.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and his supporters have called the vote a hasty "coup" attempt by the political opposition party, Popular Force, which has a majority in Congress.

The party's leader, Keiko Fujimori, is the daughter of the jailed former President Alberto Fujimori who was sentenced for human rights abuses, corruption and vote-rigging.

The future of 79-year-old President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski hangs in the balance as he faces an impeachment vote on Thursday.

People protest against Congress after it passed a motion to remove Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski from office in Lima, Peru, December 20, 2017. /CGTN Photo

The political opposition accuses Kuczynski of lying about his business links with scandal-plagued Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht..

He admits a company he owned did business with Odebrecht more than 10 years ago, including a period in which he held public office. He said he was not running the company at the time.

On Wednesday night, Kuczynski apologized to Peruvians for not being more open in a televised address, but insisted he was an honest man and denied any wrongdoing.

In a 2016 plea deal with the US Justice Department, Odebrecht admitted paying 800 million US dollars in bribes across 12 countries in Latin America, including 29 million US dollars in Peru over a decade.

Kuczynski was a government minister for some of that time.

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski addresses the nation at the Government Palace in Lima, Peru, December 20, 2017. /Reuters Photo

But this growing scandal has impacted the entire political class, including opposition leader Keiko Fujimori, who prosecutors are investigating for allegedly taking bribes along with former President Alan Garcia and the former mayor of Lima, Susana Villaran.

The probe has already landed former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala (in office from 2011 to 2016) in jail pending trial while another, Alejandro Toledo (in office from 2001 to 2006), is fighting extradition in the US.

But most people at the protest were saying that impeachment without due process is a step too far. Most say Kuczynski has the right to defend himself and to due process.

Many believe the scandal is a pretext to hastily oust the president as the opposition tries to seize more power.

16669km