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Peru launches impeachment process against president

A congressman paces the empty congressional chamber while on his phone as he waits the start of a vote on whether to initiate impeachment proceeding against the country's president, in Lima, Peru, Friday, Dec. 15, 2017. Opponents demanded President Pedro Pablo Kucyznski resign over revelations of decade-old payments from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company, at the center of Latin America's biggest graft scandal. (Martin Mejia / Associated Press)
Associated Press

LIMA, Peru – Lawmakers in Peru have initiated impeachment proceedings against President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski over previously undisclosed payments a decade ago from a Brazilian company at the heart of Latin America’s biggest graft scandal.

In a special session Friday, 27 of 130 members of congress approved launching the process to oust the president.

Kuczynski has vowed to fight against what he said were politically motivated calls for him to resign.

He reaffirmed his innocence in a televised address around midnight Thursday, and said he had no management duties in his consulting firm when it received $782,000 from consortiums led by Odebrecht, the Brazilian company.

Kuczynski has the right to a political trial in which he can defend himself.