PERU, Lima (AP) 鈥� Peru’s interim appeared Wednesday before a congressional oversight committee to address unregistered meetings with two Chinese business owners 鈥� clandestine encounters that have triggered a criminal probe and calls for his removal.
The crisis is the latest chapter in a prolonged political collapse in a country that has seen , and is about to hold a general election amid widespread public outcry over a surge in violent crime.
Jer铆 has denied wrongdoing. On Tuesday, in an interview with Peruvian TV station Am茅rica, he rejected calls for his resignation, characterizing the opposition鈥檚 actions as a 鈥渄estabilizing鈥� maneuver aimed at influencing a general election scheduled for April 12.
Jer铆 鈥� who after Congress ousted in a lightning overnight impeachment 鈥� is under fire for failing to log official meetings, a legal requirement for Peruvian leaders.
He explained that, between the end of December and the beginning of January, he met with business owner Yang Zhihua at a restaurant and later at a wholesale store because he wanted to eat Chinese food and buy candy, respectively. His presence at the restaurant on the evening of Dec. 26, with his head covered by a hood and carrying a bag, aroused suspicions from the opposition about possible irregularities.
Yang, whom Jer铆 calls 鈥淛ohnny,鈥� owns the Chinese restaurant and the store, but he also secured a concession in 2023 to build a hydroelectric plant in the Andes, which he has not yet delivered. The president also indicated that he was unaware of the background of another Chinese business owner, Ji Wu Xiaodong, who entered the presidential palace three times, despite being under house arrest and prohibited from leaving his home due to an investigation into his alleged involvement with a criminal organization engaged in illegal logging in the .
Jer铆 maintained the meetings were intended to coordinate Peruvian-Chinese Friendship Day on Feb. 1 鈥� a nod to China鈥檚 decade-long status as Peru鈥檚 top trading partner. He said Ji Wu was merely 鈥渟erving food鈥� at the restaurant and remained silent during palace visits because 鈥渉e doesn鈥檛 speak much Spanish.鈥� However, Ji Wu is listed as a registered Chinese-to-Spanish translator in Peru’s ministry of foreign affairs.
Earlier this week, Peru’s attorney general鈥檚 office said it has launched a preliminary investigation against Jer铆 for the alleged crimes of influence peddling and illegal lobbying.
The Public Prosecutor鈥檚 Office on Monday confirmed to The Associated Press that the preliminary investigation is 鈥渃onfidential.鈥� Jer铆 sent a letter to Attorney General Tom谩s G谩lvez indicating his 鈥渨illingness to cooperate鈥� with the investigation and to provide 鈥渟tatements and clarifications as needed,鈥� according to a copy of the letter sent to the international press by the presidential office.
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