Peru’s President Martín Vizcarra was voted out of office this week by the country’s legislative party, NBC News reports, causing waves of its citizens to take to the streets to protest the decision. Vizcarra, who was noted a popular leader among the people of Peru, was seen as the country’s best chance at creating a path toward the end of the systemic corruption within the country’s government. In 2019, Vizcarra was being stonewalled by Peru’s Congress on his efforts to reform judiciary procedures and ultimately ending up disbanding Congress. Another point of tension between Vizcarra and Congress? He wanted to remove their parliamentary immunity, NBC News explains.

On Monday, November 9, it was announced that Congress voted 105 to 19 to impeach Vizcarra and effectively remove him from office, according to BBC News. This is the second time in over two months that attempts to remove Vizcarra from office have occurred, and it is reported that Manuel Merino, the speaker of Congress, will assume the remainder of Vizcarra’s presidency. Angry with his removal, the people of Peru took to the streets to protest on behalf of the man who was seen as a beacon of hope among a sea of corruption. Alonso Gurmendi Dunkelberg, an analyst and assistant professor at Peru’s Universidad del Pacifico, tells NBC News that Vizcarra was seen as the face of the resistance. “I think we will not see much anti-corruption efforts in this Congress,” Gurmendi Dunkelberg reveals.

BBC News reports that Vizcarra has previously had to deny allegations of bribes that totaled in about $2.3 million soles (or US$640,000) during his time as governor in the southern region of Moquegua. But what is happening to the Peruvians that are protesting? According to Ana Lucía Mosquera Rosado, an Afro-Peruvian scholar, communications specialist, educator and activist from the University of South Florida, many are being brutally repressed by the police. Peaceful protestors find themselves on the receiving end of tear gas, pellets, and even the use of firearms. Hundreds upon hundreds of peaceful protestors are being illegally detained as well as the lawyers who are trying to fight for their release.