Hours after the announcement of his dismissal, social media pioneers circulated video clips documenting the arrest of Peruvian President Pedro Castillo after Congress removed him from the presidency of the republic before appointing a vice president to replace him, CNN reports.
Peru’s state prosecutor announced Castillo’s arrest as Marita Barreto, coordinator of the group of prosecutors investigating government corruption, said Castillo, who was fired by Congress hours after the decision to dissolve the legislature, was “arrested.” On Wednesday, Peru’s opposition-dominated parliament announced the impeachment of far-left President Castillo on charges of “moral incompetence,” ignoring the president’s decision to dissolve the parliament hours earlier.
And 101 deputies out of 130 agreed to isolate the president at a meeting that was broadcast live on television, despite Castillo’s statement about the dissolution of parliament and the introduction of a state of emergency in the country. Earlier, Washington called on the Peruvian president to reverse his decision to dissolve parliament before announcing that he no longer considers Pedro Castillo president of Peru.
“As far as I understand, based on what Parliament has done, this is now former President Castillo,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, adding that lawmakers have taken “corrective measures” in line with democratic norms.
Castillo, facing his third impeachment attempt in 18 months in office, announced in a televised address to the nation that he had dissolved parliament and would rule by decree. The president, a former schoolteacher who unexpectedly came to power from Peru’s traditional political elite, has faced recurring crises since his election last July, with frequent government reshuffles, corruption investigations and protests.
“This unbearable situation cannot continue,” the 53-year-old said, announcing that he was “temporarily dissolving parliament and creating an exceptional emergency government.” He added that he would convene a session of the new parliament “as soon as possible to draft a new constitution within a period not exceeding nine months.”
He explained that until a new parliament is formed, the country will be governed by a “decree”, and a curfew will be imposed from ten in the evening until four in the morning. Castillo has been in a power struggle with parliament since the Attorney General filed a complaint accusing Castillo of running a criminal organization, including his family and allies, that wins government contracts for money.
Castillo was under investigation in six corruption cases, including allegations against his family and political circles, but it was impossible to bring him to justice while he was in power, especially since his term ends in 2026. Previously, Pedro Castillo survived two other proposals for his impeachment, the last of which was in March 2022.
Then the opposition accused him of interfering in a corruption case in which his close associates are believed to have been involved, as well as of “high treason” after he announced his willingness to hold a referendum on granting neighboring Bolivia access to the Pacific Ocean. that overlooks the sea. He also made him responsible for recurring ministerial crises and the formation of four governments in eight months, unprecedented in Peru.
