Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has been removed from office after Congress impeached her amid protests over soaring crime and corruption allegations against her.

One hundred and twenty-two out of 130 lawmakers across political divides voted in support of Mrs Boluarte’s removal earlier on Friday, leading to her ouster from office and the swearing in of Congress leader Jose Jeri as interim president.

Protests have rocked the country in recent months as increasing crime fuels citizens’ anger against Mrs Boluarte’s government.

A shooting at a concert in the capital, Lima, on Thursday triggered public uproar that eventually saw Mrs Boluarte, 63, impeached by the Congress.

Mrs Boluarte’s approval ratings have ebbed badly, ranging between two per cent and four per cent in recent times amid allegations she is corrupt.

Her impeachment saw a crowd of protesters outside Peru’s Congress house cheering and jubilating.

“At all times I have called for unity,” Mrs Boluarte told Peruvians in a broadcast after her impeachment. “In this context, I had not thought of myself but of the more than 34 million Peruvians who deserve better.”

Aside from “Rolexgate”—an allegation that Mrs Boluarte accepted a Rolex watch as a bribe—she stirred public anger when she doubled her salary to almost 35 times that of the monthly minimum wage.

Her ouster comes three years after she assumed power in December 2022, succeeding former President Pedro Castillo. She has been the sixth president of Peru since 2018.