18-month preventive detention of Peru’s ex-president Pedro Castillo continues

Peru’s Supreme Court ruled this Thursday (15) that the preventive detention of the country’s former president, Pedro Castillo, must last at least 18 months. He is being investigated for insurgency when he tried to stage a coup and dissolve Congress, triggering violent protests that killed a total of 15 people.

The court accepted the request of the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office, which was deemed to be “in danger of fleeing” for the accused, who sought asylum at the Mexican embassy in Lima after the failed self-coup attempt on 7 December. The pre-trial detention will be extended until June 2024.

During this time, authorities will investigate the attempted coup of self that resulted in Castillo’s dismissal and imprisonment.

Violent demonstrations following Castillo’s arrest. The Regional Health Directorate announced that 15 people lost their lives in the clash between the demonstrators and the army. ayacucho, in the south of the country. Two people were killed in a protest at the city’s airport, according to the Ombudsman’s Office.

The entity reported 340 injuries, and according to the Police, almost half of them are from their own institutions. Protesters are calling for Castillo’s release and the resignation of his constitutional successor, former Vice President Dina. BoluarteClosing parliament and holding emergency general elections.

The most intense protests, attended by thousands of people across the country, took place at five airports (AndahuaiansArequipa, Puno, cusco and ayacucho) remains closed.

More than 100 roads are closed, making transportation and supplies difficult. About 2,000 cargo trucks from Bolivia were stranded in southern Peru.

In Lima, dozens of protesters camped around the police prison where Castillo was held. About 300 people marched out of the prison under intense police surveillance.

Facing the protests, the Boluarte government declared a 30-day state of emergency on Wednesday.

Peru should anticipate presidential elections. At a ceremony at the Air Force on Thursday, Dina asked Congress to approve constitutional reform that would bring the general election from 2026 to 2023. The measure calls for constitutional reform.

The situation has also caused diplomatic problems for Peru, which today called its ambassadors in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico for consultations and rejected the decision of these governments to support Castillo.