Peru: Castillo says he was ‘unjustly’ arrested and will ‘never’ resign

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Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said he would never step down from his post this Tuesday (13), and asked the army and police to stop suppressing demonstrations that have resulted in seven dead and dozens injured since Sunday after his failed self-coup.

“I will never give up or give up on the popular cause that brought me here,” Castillo said in his first press release. “From here I want to urge the Armed Forces and the National Police to lay down their arms and stop killing these people who thirst for justice.” since his dismissal a week ago.

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“I have been detained unjustly and arbitrarily, I am not a thief, criminal, corrupt or rogue,” the former monarch said in a virtual hearing assessing the appeal against his seven-day provisional detention.

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Addressing Judge César San Martín, the same person who convicted former president Alberto Fujimori in 2009, “I have never committed the crime of conspiracy or mutiny.” said.

Castillo was detained by the police a week ago, after he staged a failed self-coup and was subsequently dismissed by Congress, which had an 86% rejection rate, according to the latest opinion polls.

Vice-President Dina Boluarte immediately took over the presidency, as stipulated in the Constitution.

Boluarte received the US ambassador in Lima this Tuesday at the presidential office.

military on the streets

The Armed Forces are patrolling the streets of many cities with the police as part of the state of emergency.

Violent demonstrations against Boluarte continue, with multiple roads closed in 13 of the country’s 24 districts, according to a police report.

The busiest areas are in the south, where the tourist city of Cusco and Arequipa, the country’s second city, and Apurímac, the homeland of Boluarte, are located. The most problematic areas in the north are La Libertad and Castillo’s hometown of Cajamarca.

Protests turned violent in Lima as well.

Clashes broke out between radical protesters and police in an unequal street battle. Agents used firearms and tear gas, while one side used homemade weapons and stones.

Multiple agricultural and indigenous unions on Tuesday called for “indefinite strikes” to demand a general election.

It is not known how much repercussion this request had, but the strike caused the suspension of rail service between Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Inca castle, the jewel of Peruvian tourism.

Cusco’s airport was also closed Monday night after protesters tried to seize it.

Boluarte is trying to negotiate with Congress the prospect of a general election from July 2026 to April 2024.

Last Wednesday (7), Castillo ordered the dissolution of Parliament and the intervention of the judicial system in a speech to the country hours before Congress was discussing his alleged corruption-related impeachment.

The former president was detained by his bodyguards on his way to the Mexican embassy to seek asylum.

The Public Ministry, which investigated him for corruption, accused him of “rioting” and “conspiracy” in the act.

Latin America support

Some left-wing governments in Latin America are defending Castillo despite his self-coup.

“Pedro Castillo is still the president of Peru,” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said at a news conference on Tuesday morning.

Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico issued a joint statement Monday supporting Castillo and urging respect for “the will of the people expressed by free suffrage”.

The Peruvian Chancellery responded by recalling that Castillo was removed from office in accordance with the Constitution for “coup” by Congress, and asked countries to “respect decisions made by the powers of the State to protect democratic institutions and sovereignty.” Law in Peru”.

The castle was explored

Before his failed self-coup, the Public Ministry was investigating Castillo for leading a “criminal organization” that would benefit his family and friends.

It is also investigating whether he has committed other crimes, such as trading influence in the purchase of gasoline by state-owned Petroperú in 2021 and obstruction of justice in the resignation of the Minister of the Interior (which allowed the arrest of some of his allies).

In addition to investigating the alleged plagiarism of Castillo’s academic thesis, prosecutors are also investigating whether he committed influence-trafficking in military promotions and corrupt public works concessions.

Peruvian prosecutor Patricia Bernavides filed a constitutional complaint with Congress in October against Castillo, alleging corruption.

It was an unprecedented allegation against an incumbent president in Peru, a country with a record of five former presidents prosecuted for corruption in the 21st century.

This denunciation led Castillo to request the intervention of the Organization of American States (OAS), invoking the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

According to the ousted president, the right-wing opposition, which controls the Public Department and Congress, attributed crimes he did not commit and sought to stage a coup against him.

However, several analysts interviewed by AFP think that the Peruvian justice system is independent.

13.12.2022 16:47

source: Noticias

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