Former Peruvian President Impeachment Letter “I am the President”… Seven people have already died in impeachment protests

Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, who is in custody after being impeached on charges of political incompetence and corruption, said in a letter from prison on the 12th (local time) that he would not give up his position as head of state.

In a handwritten letter posted on Twitter, former President Castillo criticized the new president, Dina Voluarte, who took over the presidency as a “power usurper” and said he would continue his “high and sacred role” as head of state.

Former President Castillo was arrested and imprisoned after being impeached on the 7th. He attempted to dissolve Parliament to avoid passing the impeachment bill, which was charged with mutiny and conspiracy. His detention period is up to 13 days. The letter came five days after he was detained.

In the letter, he emphasized that he was the president who was rightfully elected by the people, saying that he was “the same person who was elected by the people 16 months ago according to the Constitution of the Republic.” He went on to say, “I was humiliated, isolated, abused and kidnapped, but I still wear the clothes of the faith and struggle of the people who are sovereign,” and “even the glorious souls of our ancestors dwell in it.”

He also strongly criticized current President Voluarte, who was vice president when he was impeached. He said, “What the power usurper recently said (early presidential elections and general elections) are words like secretions from the right wing of the coup,” he said. “You should not be fooled by the dirty game of new elections.” To appease public sentiment, President Voluarte has submitted a bill to advance both the presidential and general elections scheduled for 2026 to April 2024 by two years.

Dear Peruvian people, great and patient: pic.twitter.com/4IbZbhnM5D— Pedro Castillo Terrones (@PedroCastilloTe) December 12, 2022

After the impeachment of the president, protests intensified across the country, and Peru fell into a state of ‘great chaos’. At least seven people were killed during the protests. Protesters blocked roads, set cars on fire, and stormed the international airport in Peru’s second-largest city, Arequipa. As national unrest escalated, President Voluarte the day before declared a state of emergency in parts of Peru.

There are observations that the protests of supporters will intensify with former President Castillo’s message from prison. According to a November poll by the Peruvian Institute, an independent Peruvian research institute, 86% of Peruvians oppose Congress. This is higher than the 61% against Castillo. His supporters oppose impeachment and refuse to recognize the new unelected president. 토토

Meanwhile, the diplomatic authorities of four Latin American countries — Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Bolivia — issued a joint statement in support of former President Castillo, according to Peruvian media El Comercio. The four countries said in a statement that Castillo was “a victim of undemocratic bullying” and called for respect for his human rights. They expressed their “deep concern over the recent events” and “request that the authorities fully respect the human rights of President Pedro Castillo and ensure that he enjoys judicial protection.”

In a previous press conference, Mexican President López Obrador called the impeachment vote by the Peruvian congress “a coup d’état in which an elite political group shook the legally constituted government” and criticized Castillo as “a victim of bullying and confrontation”. . He described the passage of impeachment as “deep-rooted discrimination against former teachers from the highlands of the Andes,” and also announced his intention to allow former President Castillo to apply for asylum in Mexico.