They ratify preventive detention of 18 months against Pedro Castillo

Lime. A Peruvian court ratified 18-month preventive detention for ousted President Pedro Castillo, held in a police prison after his failed coup attempt on December 7.

“The Permanent Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court ratified the resolution that ordered 18 months of preventive detention against former President Pedro Castillo, investigated for the crime of rebellion (alternatively, conspiracy to rebellion) to the detriment of the State,” the Judiciary said Thursday. On twitter.

The prison order for Castillo had already been issued by a court on December 15, but his defense requested that it be revoked, considering it unfair.

“I ask for the hatred to cease and I request my freedom for being a just right. I have never committed a crime of rebellion,” said Castillo, during a virtual hearing on Wednesday.

The former president was constitutionally removed by Congress and is being held under legal conditions and without physical complications, according to the Ombudsman’s Office, which visited him a week ago along with a team from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Castillo, 53, is being held in the Barbadillo prison, within the headquarters of the Special Police Operations Directorate (Diroes) in the capital.

He is being investigated for the crime of rebellion and conspiracy for trying to close Congress, intervene in public powers and govern by decree. The maneuver had no institutional backing.

The police detained him hours after his dismissal, when he was trying to reach the Mexican embassy to request asylum. He assumed the government his vice president, Dina Boluarte.

Castillo’s fall sparked violent protests that left 22 dead and more than 600 injured in clashes with security forces. The protesters call for the resignation of Boluarte, the closure of Congress and the advancement of elections to 2023.

In an attempt to mitigate the crisis, Congress approved a week ago to move the general elections from 2026 to April 2024.

hello from protests

The protests in Peru that demand the resignation of the current government after the dismissal of President Pedro Castillo could be reactivated in the first days of January, while the new ruler, Dina Boluarte, asked the parties, their militants and the unions to “reflect” and ” dialogue”.

Likewise, Boluarte assured that he will give “all the facilities” to the prosecutor’s office to investigate the deaths during the violent protests this month and asserted that there will be no impunity, at a time when the government expects new disturbances in January.

The social upheaval, which broke out mainly in the impoverished southern regions of the country, left at least 22 dead during clashes and another six people died in accidents related to the blockades, according to official data.

“We are not going to allow impunity, to investigate, to individualize the facts and the National Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary will be assuming their corresponding roles,” Boluarte told the international media at a press conference.

“The police and the Army came out to defend the life and tranquility of the 33 million Peruvians,” he said.