Peru: Pres. Castillo Detained, Impeached After Attempt To Dissolve Congress
Peru's National Police confirmed that the country's ousted Pres. Pedro Castillo was arrested on Wednesday after he announced the dissolution of Congress in a televised address to the nation hours before he was set to face his third impeachment vote.
Facts
- Peru's National Police confirmed that the country's ousted Pres. Pedro Castillo was arrested on Wednesday after he announced the dissolution of Congress in a televised address to the nation hours before he was set to face his third impeachment vote.
- Local media reported that Castillo was approached by police officers in downtown Lima as he was leaving government headquarters.
- In the meantime, the Peruvian single-chamber legislature voted 101 to 6 to declare the presidency vacant, impeaching Castillo for "moral incapacity" after he said he would rule by decree until new elections for a constituent assembly could be held.
- Castillo's attempt to send Congress home for nine months, write a new constitution, and impose a curfew received harsh criticism from the military, the constitutional tribunal, and his own cabinet – with several ministers reportedly quitting shortly after his announcement.
- His VP Dina Boluarte, who described his move as a "coup attempt," was quickly sworn in as the new president, becoming the first female head of state in Peru's history.
- The Castillo admin was entangled in chaos since its inauguration, with several ministers sacked or having resigned in little over a year, while the former president himself has faced several investigations into alleged corruption schemes.
Sources: El Pais, Mercopress, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Guardian, and CNN.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by TeleSUR. The impeachment process against Castillo was a clear — and deceitful — attempt to break with the Peruvian democratic order, but Castillo's actions are also unacceptable. He was not a trustworthy leader, and now this has become clearer than ever.
- Right narrative, as provided by El American. Castillo had long indicated that he wanted to abolish checks and balances to his power and polarize society, so Peru shouldn't have expected anything other than corruption scandals, violence, instability, and disaster from his administration. Fortunately, parliamentary efforts brought this nightmare to an end today.
