Peru To Discuss Vizcarra's Disqualification Before Elections

A Congress Commission on Thursday approved a report proposing the disqualification of Peru's ex-President Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020) for his illegal COVID-19 vaccination.

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Ex-Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti and ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Elizabeth Astete are also accused of constitutional infringement for getting immunized secretly with Sinopharm vaccines.

Popular Force congressman Carlos Mesia announced an urgent meeting on Saturday to decide on these cases just a day before general elections in which  Vizcarra is seeking a congressional seat.

The report demanded a 10-year prohibition on holding public office for Vizcarra, eight years for Mazzetti, and one year in the case of Astete. 

The "Vaccinagate" case refers to secret immunizations of high officials and their relatives, who were not part of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 clinical trials conducted by the Cayetano Heredia University. 

In Vizcarra's case, the indictment alleged that he lied in assuring that he volunteered for the clinical trial, thus committing constitutional infractions when he was the country's highest-ranking official in service.

Last year, Vizcarra also faced two impeachment trials. The first one was related to influence peddling for illegal hirings at the Culture and the other one was connected to bribery when he was Moquegua region's governor. Precisely, Congress passed his disqualification due to the latest case.