Peru responded to Argentina and the countries that issued a statement by Pedro Castillo

At the end of a violent day of protests in Peru which caused at least 5 deaths in the south of the country due to the police repression of demonstrators demanding the resignation of the new president Dina Bolarte, to replace Pedro Castillo, who was ousted and detained after attempting a self-coup, four countries – including Argentina – have released a joint statement in which they express “deep concern about the expulsion and detention” of the former president. Y Peru responded.

In the text, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Bolivia they made “an appeal to all actors involved in the previous process to give priority to the will of the citizens that was pronounced at the polls”. And that this was “the way of interpreting” the scope and meaning of the notion of democracy included in the Inter-American System of Human Rights.

Against this backdrop, Peru’s new government issued a response on Monday night. “The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recognized, in its statement of December 8, ‘…the immediate action of Peru’s institutions in defense of democracy to avoid the realization of institutional collapse’ and reiterated ‘that it must be protected the validity of the rule of law.

“The Government of Peru reaffirms its conviction of the importance of respecting the international obligations established in the Inter-American System and in particular in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and that the decisions that the powers of the State have adopted to safeguard the institutional framework is respected, democracy and the rule of law in Peru,” the Peruvian government added.

Two days after the coup attempted by Castillo, the president, Dina Boluarte, celebrated the communication of the president of Argentina on social media: “I appreciate the appeal of the president of the sister Republic of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, in which he expressed his support, support and collaboration in the framework of strengthening our democracybilateral relations and regional policies for the development of South America”.

However, in an unexpected twist, the government of Alberto Fernández joined an unexpected joint statement with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, from Mexico; Gustavo Petro, from Colombia; and Luis Arce, from Bolivia, in which they indirectly suggested Castillo’s return to power.

The communiqué of the four countries referred to Castillo but without mentioning the coup attempt: “Fully respect the human rights of President Pedro Castillo and that he be guaranteed judicial protection in the terms sanctioned by the last article cited”.

That’s why the Peruvian Foreign Ministry responded. “The Government of Peru reaffirms its firm commitment to full respect for the human rights of all people in its territory, including those of former President Castillo, and will persist in safeguarding democratic institutions and the rule of law in the country,” they concluded. .

The full statement of the government of Peru in response to the four countries

The decisions contrary to the constitutional and democratic order taken by former President Pedro Castillo Terrones on December 7, his decision to dissolve the Congress of the Republic and to intervene in the judiciary, the public prosecutor, the Constitutional Court and the National Council of Justice, including other measures, constitute a coup. For this reason, they generated the decision of the Congress of the Republic to declare his vacancy within the framework of the strictest respect of the political Constitution of Peru, with the multi-party vote of 101 members of the Congress, the vote against of only 6 of them and 10 abstentions . .

In accordance with the provisions of Article 115 of the Political Constitution of Peru, Vice President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra assumed the presidency of the Republic.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recognized, in its statement of December 8, “…the immediate action of Peru’s institutions in defense of democracy to avoid the realization of institutional collapse” and reiterated “that this must be protected the validity of the rule of law”.

In accordance with the existing consensus in Peru, President Boluarte has presented a bill to the Congress of the Republic to bring forward the general elections, demanding that they be held in April 2024.

The Government of Peru reaffirms its conviction of the importance of respecting the international obligations established in the Inter-American System and in particular in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and that the decisions that the powers of the State have adopted to safeguard democracy, the institutions are respected and the state of law in Peru.

The Government of Peru reaffirms its firm commitment to full respect for the human rights of all people in its territory, including those of former President Castillo, and will persist in safeguarding democratic institutions and the rule of law in the country.

IS