Airports and main roads are closed, and a state of emergency has been introduced for 30 days. The young democracy in the Andes is constantly put to the test. Peru now has its sixth president in six years. There have been daily protests outside the police station where Castillo is being held. Now he has been sentenced to 18 months in custody while the trial is being built. Photo: ALESSANDRO CINQUE / Reuters Pedro Castillo is in prison and claims he is still the country’s leader. International allies on the left agree. The riots paint a picture of an ideologically divided region. While the United States believes that democracy and the constitution in the South American country are under threat, neighboring countries express concern for the imprisoned president. Fears it could get worse The chaos started when Pedro Castillo was deposed by the Congress he himself tried to dissolve. He wanted to avoid being impeached for a third time. 53-year-old Pedro Castillo was allowed to rule Peru for 17 months before he was deposed, accused of sedition and attempted coup. Photo: SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA / Reuters Just hours before elected officials were to vote on Castillo’s fate, the president announced plans to remove the opposition-run Congress. A new, temporary government was to be put in place, and Pedro Castillo was to rule by decree until new congressional elections could be held. The statement came as a surprise to government colleagues. The attempt to usurp power was quickly branded as illegal and unconstitutional. Peru’s finance minister wrote on social media that he would resign with immediate effect. During the day, President Castillo was deposed, arrested by the police and accused of attempted coup. Neither the police nor the army, nor his own left-wing coalition, saved him. The National Assembly of Peru voted on Wednesday to oust President Pedro Castillo. Since Castillo’s arrest, there have been violent clashes between supporters and security forces. At least seven people have been killed and over 200 injured. Ombudsman Eliana Revollar fears that it will get much worse in Peru. In an interview with AFP, she refers to the demonstrations as a serious social upheaval. – We fear that it will lead to riots because there are groups that encourage riots, with weapons, says Revollar. The protests seem to be gaining strength in Peru. Trade unions are also calling for a general strike. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Presidential colleagues offer support Four presidents on the left in the region believe the still imprisoned Castillo is Peru’s legitimate president. In a joint statement, Mexico’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Argentina’s Alberto Fernández, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Bolivia’s Luis Arce write that Peru’s authorities must “refrain from reversing the will of the people expressed through free suffrage”. Brazil and Chile did not want to join the call. It is not the first time Peru has experienced coup attempts. Controversial, authoritarian Alberto Fujimori did the same. In 1992, he dissolved the Congress, successfully, as he tightened. Fujimori had the military on his side. Protests in Peru’s capital Lima continue despite the state of emergency. The ousted president’s supporters hold up puppets of Congressman Jose Williams, Attorney General Patricia Benavides and Peru’s new president Dina Boluarte. Photo: Martin Mejia / AP It is largely Castillo’s supporters who are protesting in the streets. They voted him into power 17 months ago. They demand the release of the president and that new elections must be held. A judge has ruled that Castillo must remain in custody for 18 months, or until his trial can begin. Outside the police station where Pedro Castillo is in custody, Peruvians come and demand his release. Photo: SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA / Reuters Peru’s first poor president, 53-year-old Pedro Castillo, had no political experience when he was elected. His background was the trade union and teacher in the countryside. Pedro Castillo is referred to as Peru’s first poor president. He grew up in the countryside. Photo: Martin Mejia / AP He stands strong in the poor areas of the Andes. He himself grew up on a farm where he helped his parents, who could not read or write. The 53-year-old was elected due to dissatisfaction with the political elite. Protesters cause delays for the transport of goods and tourists in Peru. Photo: Hugo Curotto / AP Castillo’s rivals have tried to portray him as a left-wing extremist, with ties to the Communist guerrilla “Shining Path”. These are accusations Castillo denies. With a narrow majority, Castillo won over the right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Fujimori. Peru’s first female president In an attempt to calm the situation, Peru’s new president, Castillo’s vice-president Dina Boluarte, has proposed moving the planned election from 2026 to December next year. Vice President Dina Boluarte steps up and is sworn in as Peru’s new president. Photo: Guadalupe Pardo / AP She has the same political challenges as her old boss: Enormous differences between rich and poor. Food prices are high and many are hungry. The mountain areas are more often affected by drought. Fertilizer is hard to come by after the war in Ukraine. Peru’s economy is affected by the pandemic. Around 30 political parties that constantly change alliances. Peru, which until recently was classified as an upper-middle-income country, is now the country in South America with the least food security, according to the UN. Protesters believe the country’s new president Dina Boluarte is a traitor. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Half of the inhabitants do not have access to enough safe and nutritious food, even though Peru is self-sufficient. Those protesting do not seem to believe that Dina Boluarte will be able to stabilize the country. Nor does Boluarte have experience from politics. She worked in the public sector before becoming vice-president in 2021. Indigenous people and campaigners for farmers’ rights began to strike this week. This has meant that the train between Cusco and the tourist magnet Machu Picchu has been cancelled. Photo: PERCY HURTADO / AFP Self-willed leader In order to correct enormous biases and poverty in Peru, Castillo would, among other things, ban the import of products that are also made in Peru. His short presidency was marked by a power struggle with Congress. He had few allies. There have been six investigations into him and his family following allegations of corruption. The ousted Pedro Castillo was known for trusting his own actions over the institutions, and put close friends ahead of competence, writes columnist Mac Margolis in the Washington Post. Supporters demand justice for Pedro Castillo. Photo: Martin Mejia / AP Now he risks many years in prison. From his prison cell, Castillo has tweeted that he is still Peru’s president, even though, according to himself, he is “humiliated, isolated, abused and abducted.” Should he be convicted of conspiracy and rebellion, the penalty is up to ten years in prison, according to Peru’s prosecutor Alcides Diaz.
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Protests, price pressure and an imprisoned president – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
