Following the ouster and detention of former President Pedro Castillo, there have been protests and political unrest in Peru over the past week, leading to the declaration of a national state of emergency.
Alberto Otarola, the defense minister of Peru, announced the new 30-day measure on Wednesday in response to “acts of vandalism and violence,” including road blocks. He said it involved “the suspension of freedom of movement and assembly” and might include a curfew.
The National Police, with the assistance of the Armed Forces, “will assure the management of personal property and, more importantly, vital infrastructure throughout the national territory as well as the safety and wellbeing of all Peruvians,” the minister added.
The action was taken as a judge mandated Castillo’s continued detention in custody on “rebellion” and “conspiracy” accusations for an additional 48 hours prior to a hearing on his release.
In South America, Castillo’s supporters have turned to the streets to call for his release, new elections, and the ouster of his successor, former Vice President Dina Boluarte.
The crisis started last week when Castillo, a former rural teacher and union leader who was elected president in July of last year, declared intentions to dissolve Congress and impose an absolute monarchy.
The action was widely criticized as being unconstitutional, which caused the opposition-led legislature to vote last Wednesday in favor of impeaching him for the third time during his precarious reign.
Castillo was arrested and taken to a police prison close to Lima, where he is still being kept, just after Boluarte took office as Peru’s first female president.
Castillo has denied the allegations against him and claims he is being “unjustly and arbitrarily arrested,” according to Peruvian prosecutors, who last week announced that they are asking for 18 months of preventative imprisonment for him.
Wednesday’s hearing before the Supreme Court of Peru to evaluate the prosecution’s request was postponed until Thursday.
You concur with our Privacy Policy by signing up. Castillo requested that his supporters visit the police station where he is being kept on Wednesday in the late afternoon, claiming that he should be released after the initial seven-day period of preliminary custody concludes later in the day.
In addition, he requested help from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Already enough! The indignation, abuse, and treatment persist. With 18 months of pretrial confinement, they have restricted my freedom once more today, he wrote in a tweet. I blame judges and prosecutors for what occurs in the nation.
On Tuesday, the Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office reduced the number of fatalities caused by the protests to six. In rural areas of the nation, where Castillo has the greatest level of political support, protests were particularly noticeable.
The new president, Boluarte, has made a pledge to call early elections rather than allow Castillo to serve out the remaining three and a half years of his term, which was a major demand of the protesters over the previous week.
On Wednesday, she stated once more that elections may be moved up to December 2023. Legally, it is valid until April 2024, but with a few changes, we can move it up to December 2023, she informed the press.
Additionally, Boluarte reaffirmed the need for peace in the streets. She remarked from the presidential residence that “violence between us prevents us from having a discourse.”
However, as the protests went on, onlookers expressed alarm about the escalating situation.
Eliana Revollar, the director of the Peruvian Ombudsman’s office, warned on Tuesday that things could yet get worse. Revollar declared, “This is a really dangerous social convulsion.
“There are those calling for an insurrection and begging to pick up arms, thus we fear that it will spark an uprising.”
