Peru president defeats bid to oust him by eight votes in Congress

Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. [Photo: Courtesy]

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pulled off a surprise victory against the opposition’s bid to force him from power as a graft scandal rocks Latin America, with a motion in Congress falling eight votes short of the 87 needed to oust him.

Before hours of debate in Congress, Kuczynski called on lawmakers to set aside his defects to help defend Peru’s democracy from what he deemed a hasty “coup” attempt staged by the right-wing opposition Popular Force party.