Peru’s first female president appeared in a military ceremony on national television on Friday in her first official event as head of state, an attempt to cement her power and buck the national trend of early presidential departures.

The Agricultural People’s Front of Peru has emerged as a potential favorite in Sunday’s legislative elections amid widespread disgust with the country's traditional politicians and an extremely fragmented electorate.

Francisco Sagasti waves after being sworn-in as the new, interim president at Congress in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. Sagasti's appointment marks a tumultuous week in which thousands took to the streets outraged by Congress' decision to oust popular ex-President Martn Vizcarra. “I hope this one is different.”Peru plunged into turmoil last week when Congress voted to oust ex-President Martín Vizcarra. Sagasti voted against Vizcarra’s ouster — a move likely to win him at least some backing from those who took to the streets in protest. Lawmakers used a 19th century-era clause to oust Vizcarra for “moral incapacity,” accusing him of taking bribes years ago when he was a governor.

Peru's new interim President Francisco Sagasti waves to the crowd after he was designated by Congress to lead the nation, in Lima, Peru, Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. Congress chose Sagasti to become the nation's third president in the span of a week after Congress ousted Martin Vizcarra and the following protests forced his successor Manuel Merino to resign. People waved the nation's red-and-white flag and blared horns outside the gates of Congress as Francisco Sagasti of the centrist Purple Party was selected the legislature's new president. Shortly after the vote, he took an oath to become Congress' president. In his speech before Congress, Sagasti recognized the deep wounds the legislature must work to repair before the election.

People celebrate after the resignation of interim president Manuel Merino, at Plaza San Martin in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)LIMA – Peru’s interim president resigned Sunday as the nation plunged into its worst constitutional crisis in two decades following massive protests unleashed when Congress ousted the nation’s popular leader. The politician agreed to step down after a night of unrest in which two young protesters were killed and half his Cabinet resigned. Congress called an emergency session for Sunday evening to select a new president, but was still debating the question late into the night. Merino, previously head of Congress, stepped in as interim president, but his six-day rule was marred by constant protests.

On Tuesday, Manuel Merino was sworn in as the country's president, after the legislature voted Vizcarra out of office Monday. “I think they removed him out of their own personal interests rather than those of the people,” she said. “Legislators are supposed to watching out for the good of all.”Peru’s Congress voted overwhelmingly to remove now ex-President Martín Vizcarra on Monday, complaining about his handling of the pandemic and accusing him of corruption. Nineteen people, including officers and civilians, were injured at a large protest Thursday, according to the public defender’s office. Like those protests, the Peru demonstrations are loosely organized, driven by notices posted on social media and fueled in large part by the demands of young people.

On Tuesday, Manuel Merino was sworn in as the country's president, after the legislature voted Vizcarra out of office Monday. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)LIMA – A judge barred former Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra from leaving the nation for 18 months Friday while prosecutors investigate bribery allegations that Congress used to oust him, plunging the nation into a political crisis. The case against the popular leader – whose ouster has been criticized by international organizations – is still in the preliminary stage. The accusers claim Vizcarra asked a construction firm to rent the plane as part of the bribe. International organizations and analysts have questioned Congress’ use of the “moral incapacity” clause and say it put the nation’s democracy at risk.

On Tuesday, Peru swore in Manuel Merino as president, after Perus legislature booted Vizcarra from office on Monday. Vizcarra dissolved Congress last year after lawmakers repeatedly stonewalled efforts to curb graft and reform the judiciary. Furious at his removal Monday, thousands have taken to the streets daily in protest, refusing to recognize the new government. The Organization of American States said Wednesday it is “deeply worried” about the upheaval in Peru. “That has created a political culture of corruption that now people are rejecting.”University student Violeta Mejia said many are simply fed up.

Hong Kong and Singapore say they have agreed to a bilateral air travel bubble, re-establishing travel links as coronavirus infections in both cities decline. -- Maryland will reduce indoor operations for bars and restaurants from 75% to 50% in response to rising coronavirus cases and increased hospitalizations. Maryland also reported 1,338 new coronavirus cases Tuesday — the seventh straight day of at least 1,000 cases. ___WASHINGTON — The U.S. has surpassed 1 million new confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of November. The El Paso County sheriff’s office says two of the employees were hospitalized over the weekend as coronavirus cases surged at the facility.

Supporters of Peru's former President Martin Vizcarra are stopped by police from marching to Congress where lawmakers voted the previous night to remove Vizcarra from office, in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. Congress voted to oust Vizcarra over his handling of the new coronavirus pandemic and unproven allegations of corruption years ago. But outside Congress, Peru's divide was readily apparent. At least 34,879 people have died among 922,333 infected by the virus in Peru, a nation of 32 million people. After Merino left Congress, protesters continued to gather in the city's historic district under a gray sky.

The ouster measure was supported by 105 legislators — far more than the 87 votes needed for the two-thirds majority required to remove Peru's president. Thousands gathered on the streets of Peru's capital after the vote to denounce Congress. The speed of the move against the president and lack of evidence led some political analysts to warn that Congress could be putting Peru’s democracy in jeopardy. Political analyst Alonso Cárdenas said the repeated attempts to oust Vizcarra highlight the weaknesses of Peru’s political system, where no party has a majority and politicians are guided more by individual interests than ideology. The president survived the impeachment vote in September brought by opposition lawmakers who accused him of favoring a little-known singer known as Richard Swing.

Peru's President Martin Vizcarra greets reporters after addressing Congress in Lima, Peru, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. The decision came after long hours of debate in which legislators blasted Vizcarra but also questioned whether a rushed impeachment process would only create more turmoil in the middle of a health and economic crisis. In the end, only 32 lawmakers voted to remove the president, while 78 voted against and 15 abstained. He called for a proper investigation and urged lawmakers not to aggravate Peru's already precarious situation by rushing through an impeachment proceeding. The president has no majority in Congress, a pandemic still to deal with and an economic contraction that has thrown millions into poverty.

(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)LIMA – A high Peruvian court rejected a request by President Martín Vizcarra Thursday to halt impeachment proceedings being pushed by opposition lawmakers who contend he tried to cover up ties with a controversial ally. Tribunal President Marianella Ledesma said magistrates agreed to let the impeachment proceeding advance because recent events indicate the removal attempt is unlikely to actually result in Vizcarra’s ouster. Lawmakers who initiated the impeachment process last week have struggled to garner support and analysts believe they are unlikely to get enough votes to remove Vizcarra. The impeachment would come at a tumultuous time for Peru, one of the countries with the highest per capita COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. The proceedings have been rushed and no probe has yet concluded whether any illegal activity indeed took place.

The 106-day lockdown devastated Perus economy, causing thousands of businesses to go under and millions of people to lose their jobs. Many of the jobless and poor turned to selling goods in the street to survive despite the stay-at-home orders. President Martin Vizcarra said the goal of easing the lockdown is to reactivate the economy and generate jobs. But tough measures will remain in place in seven regions in central Peru where infections are on the rise. With more than 285,000 confirmed infections, Peru has the seventh highest case count in the world.