Peru’s President Pleads With Lawmakers Not to Impeach Him<br />The vote was introduced by the left-wing party Frente Amplio, which described Mr. Kuczynski as having "demeaned the presidency." During his testimony on Thursday, Mr. Kuczynski said he would be open to an investigation into his finances, but he urged members of Congress to vote against his impeachment, warning<br />that the country would not benefit from a hasty decision.<br />21, 2017<br />LIMA, Peru — President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Peru, testifying before the country’s Congress on Thursday, made an impassioned plea against calls for his impeachment as he argued against claims<br />that he is linked to a graft scandal that has rattled Latin America.<br />His company was being run by a business partner at the time, and Mr. Kuczynski said the firm had provided only consulting services to Odebrecht.<br />"The president puts himself at the disposal of the Public Ministry." Mr. Kuczynski’s political future is now in the hands<br />of Congress, which is close to having the two-thirds majority — or 87 of 130 votes — needed to remove him from office.<br />Mr. Kuczynski said that at the time he was testifying in the inquiry, he was unaware<br />that Odebrecht had done business with his company between 2004 and 2007.<br />Mr. Kuczynski, who was given just days to formulate a defense after the impeachment proceeding were announced, maintained<br />that the consulting services that Westfield Capital provided to Odebrecht did not give Odebrecht a competitive advantage in any dealings.
