Peru Congress Debates Awarding Honor Medal to José Jerí, Removed from Office Amid 'Chifagate' Scandal

The Congress of the Republic of Peru is evaluating whether to award the Grand Cross Medal (Medalla de Gran Cruz) to former President José Jerí, who headed the executive branch between Ekim 2025 and Şubat 2026. The proposal, which will be brought to the parliamentary agenda in the coming days, was overshadowed by the controversial events Jerí experienced while serving as president. In particular, presenting such a high honor to a politician who was removed from office by his own parliament just five months ago following the scandal called 'Chifagate' drew serious backlash from the public and political circles. The situation also fueled ongoing debates about what criteria the Peruvian Chamber of Deputies uses when rewarding its members. Regarding the matter, the proposal placed on the agenda of the Congress Honor Medal Council will be addressed under the leadership of the current president, Fernando Rospigliosi.

The Grand Cross Medal is considered the most prestigious honor that can be awarded by the Peruvian Legislative Assembly. This award is traditionally reserved for foreign heads of state, leaders of other branches of government, ambassadors, and high-ranking military commanders. The nomination of José Jerí for this honor initiated a large-scale inquiry in Peruvian politics regarding the purpose and standards of the decoration's use. Critics argue that it is unacceptable for a figure under serious ethical investigations and previously accused of undermining public trust to be deemed worthy of this award. Recalling the details of the scandal and Jerí's removal process makes this award debate even more complicated. As a result, the medal nomination has turned into an incident testing the limits of political ethics and accountability standards in Peru.

The scandal known as 'Chifagate' began on the night of 26 Aralık 2025, when José Jerí, in his capacity as the then President, went disguised to a Chinese restaurant (chifa) in Lima. It was determined that during this secret meeting, which was not on Jerí's official schedule, he met with a Chinese businessman nicknamed 'Johnny', Zhihua Yang. Another detail that caused the incident to escalate was the revelation that the market where the meeting took place had been sealed by municipal officials just a few hours prior for operating without a permit. Jerí's decision to go to this same sealed establishment with the same businessman on 6 Ocak had a bombshell effect in the media and public opinion. These mysterious and suspicious meetings exposed the lack of transparency in the Peruvian administration's relations with foreign businessmen.

The scale of the scandal expanded further when it was understood that another Chinese businessman named Ji Wu Xiaodong, who was supposed to be under house arrest by a judicial decision, also attended these secret meetings. Despite Xiaodong being under a criminal sanction as part of an illegal timber trade investigation, he was allowed to enter the Government Palace (Palacio de Gobierno) three consecutive times along with Yang. This situation raised suspicions that the highest security and protected areas of the state were opened to businessmen without compliance with judicial decisions. Although Jerí tried to defend himself by claiming that these visits were made as part of the preparations for Peru-China Friendship Day celebrated in Şubat, his explanations were not found convincing. The Prosecutor's Office launched a preliminary investigation against Jerí with allegations of illegal profiteering and influence peddling, and the Congressional Oversight Committee identified contradictions in the former president's statements.

As a result of these political and legal pressures, José Jerí was removed from office and censured by the Peru Congress on 17 Şubat 2026. Losing his position as Speaker of the Congress due to this vote, Jerí was also automatically removed from the Presidency, which he had temporarily assumed due to legal succession following Dina Boluarte's vacant seat. José María Balcázar was appointed and installed as the new head of the system in his place. The nomination of the former Peruvian leader for a high state honor just months after Jerí's removal from office creates a deep contradiction with the political norms and ethical values in Peruvian history. Whether the medal proposal will be accepted or withdrawn in the assembly will continue to be one of the country's agenda items and be debated until a definitive conclusion is reached.