Just five days after he assumed office Peru's interim President Manuel Merino resigned.
The country continues to be embroiled in political turmoil following the ousting of President Martín Vizcarra by legislators last week.
After he took over the office, Merino immediately faced opposition from some of Peru's politicians and the public, most of which have refused to recognize his authority.
Unrest was exacerbated by the killing of two protesters by police. Merino's cabinet has slowly been dissolving. By the weekend, most of the members under Merino had resigned. This eventually led to a decision by Congress, requesting Merino's resignation.
Peru's Congress is expected to replace Merino, who will effectively become the country's fifth president in five years. During his speech announcing his resignation, Merino condemned the killings of the protesters and asked that the public strive to achieve "peace and unity" for all citizens.
Peru lawmakers invoked a clause in the country's constitution last week to remove Vizcarra as president under "moral incapacity" grounds. During his two-year tenure, Vizcarra had made several political enemies under his campaign to eradicate corruption in the country. The campaign resulted in dozens of lawmakers being placed under investigation for crimes ranging from money laundering, extortion and murder.
"I deeply regret the deaths that have occurred as a result of the repression of this illegal and illegitimate government. My condolences to the relatives of these civil heroes who, exercising their right, came out in defense of democracy and in search of a better country," Vizcarra said in a tweet published Sunday.
When Merino took over, he promised the public that he would unite the country. However, his administration faced immediate opposition from detractors who alleged that lawmakers had staged a coup.
The political crisis has resulted in massive demonstrations in the streets of the capital city of Lima and other cities. Human rights groups claimed that apart from the two that were killed, dozens have been reported missing. Clashes between government forces and protesters have also reportedly resulted in injuries to hundreds of people.
