LIMA — Peru’s president was ousted Wednesday after he sought to dissolve Congress and form an emergency government to govern by decree, a startling move that political leaders across the globe The whole world was quick to denounce it as a coup attempt.
President Pedro Castillo’s announcement comes hours before Congress is expected to vote on impeaching Castillo on charges of corruption. After Mr. Castillo’s speech, Congress began meeting and quickly voted to remove him from the presidency.
By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Castillo was arrested and his vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in as president, becoming the first woman to lead the country.
“We need the best Peruvians,” said Ms. Boluarte, 60, a longtime lawyer and civil servant. “Management of Peru will not be an easy task.”
Mr. Castillo’s announcement echoes the move of President Alberto Fujimori, who was democratically elected in 1990 and then two years later staged a military-backed coup and ruled as a dictator. until 2000. He is currently in prison for corruption and human rights violations.
Peru has struggled for years with high-profile corruption scandals that have led to six presidents since 2016. Mr. Castillo’s tenure has only deepened the feeling that the country’s political system is under attack. break.
Castillo’s attempt to challenge Congress has plunged fragile democracy into its biggest political crisis in years.
“We have decided to form an emergency government, to re-establish democracy and the rule of law,” said Mr. Castillo, adding that elections would be held to elect a new National Assembly. new assembly “with the possibility of drafting a new Constitution.” Mr. Castillo said.
But it became clear that his announcement did not receive much support, prompting mass resignations of most of his government and a joint statement from the Peruvian armed forces and the police suggesting that Mr. has no legal authority to carry out his decree and will not assist him.
Local television showed Castillo and his family leaving the presidential palace. He was taken to a police station in Lima, saying it was unclear what charges he faced.
The US Embassy in Lima also issued a statement condemning Mr. “The United States strongly urges President Castillo to reverse his efforts to shut down Congress and allow democratic institutions in Peru to operate under the constitution,” the embassy said in a statement. tweet. “We encourage the Peruvian public to remain calm during this uncertain time.”
Following Mr Castillo’s announcement, his personal lawyer and several members of his administration resigned, including the ministers of economy, justice and human rights, the environment, transport, culture and women’s rights. female; ambassador to the Organization of American States; and the secretary of state, who tweeted that the president’s decision was “a violation of the Constitution.”
Francisco Morales, head of the Constitutional Court, said: “A coup has been made. He called on the armed forces to help restore order.
Ombudsman’s Office request Castillo’s “immediate resignation” and called on the Peruvian leader to turn himself in to the judiciary.
Following a fresh flurry of corruption allegations, Congress scheduled a vote Wednesday afternoon on a motion to impeach Mr. Castillo, the third such attempt.
Since the beginning of his term, Mr. Castillo has been embroiled in high-profile corruption scandals, criminal investigations and cabinet changes. Prosecutors have accused him of leading a criminal organization with lawmakers and family members to profit from government contracts and repeatedly obstructing justice.
Last month, the Peruvian leader also threatened to dissolve the National Assembly using a controversial constitutional trick and local media recently reported that he had tried to survey the leaders. military about backing such a move.
During Mr. Castillo’s tenure, he worked through more than 80 ministers and held a variety of positions with associated inexperienced political allies, some of whom have faced investigations into corruption, violence, and corruption. domestic violence and murder.
After Mr. Castillo’s defense minister resigned on Saturday, for personal reasons, rumors of a military coup – in favor of and against Mr. Castillo – spread on social media, prompting some to Opposition lawmakers stayed in Parliament overnight on Sunday fearing a violent attempt by the armed forces to close the chamber. No such attempt has been made.
On Tuesday, the head of Peru’s military submitted his resignation, citing personal reasons, in a letter published Wednesday.
Mr. Castillo, a former farmer, teacher and union activist with no experience in power, narrowly defeated Keiko Fujimori, a professional right-wing politician, in last year’s election after campaigning support the poor Peruvians left behind by the country’s economic expansion this century.
His victory reflects growing disillusionment in Peru with the political elite tainted by years of bribery scandals and infighting. Two of Mr. Castillo’s predecessors each faced two motions of impeachment, and both considered them illegitimate.
Before President Martin VizcarraPeru’s only leader to be successfully ousted before Mr. Castillo, left office after a vote in 2020, but filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court, which refused to consider the legitimacy of the ruling. it.
In a televised message to the nation late Tuesday, Mr. Castillo said the impeachment motion was part of the same effort to stop him from taking power that has dogged him since his victory over Ms. Fujimori. who led a weeks-long campaign to overturn the election results based on baseless fraudulent claims.
“During my 17 months in office, a certain part of the Congress was only focused on removing me, because they never accepted the outcome of an election that you, the people of Peru, dear, determined by my vote,” Castillo said Tuesday.
“I am not corrupt,” he added. “I am a man from the countryside who has made mistakes because of his inexperience but has never committed a crime.”
Genevieve Glatsky Contribution reports from Bogotá, Colombia, and Elda Cantu from Mexico City.
