The Peruvian Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Wednesday that it has arrested former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo in Lima for the alleged crime of rebellion after announcing that he was dissolving Congress, decreeing a government of exception and calling new legislative elections.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has indicated that Castillo, in his capacity as president, is accused of breaking the constitutional order, so it has announced that it is preparing to initiate proceedings based on articles 346 and 349 of the Penal Code, for rebellion and conspiracy.
Thus, the Attorney General, Patricia Benavides Vargas –together with the Supreme Deputy Prosecutor, Marco Huamán Muñoz, of the Specialized Area on Illicit Enrichment and Constitutional Complaints; and the Senior Prosecutor Marita Barreto Rivera, belonging to the Special Team against Corruption of Power– has supervised the arrest of the former president.
Castillo has gone to the Prosecutor’s Office in Lima together with his family and former Prime Minister Anibal Torres.
The Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences will proceed to carry out a legal medical examination on Castillo’s current state of health, reads the letter from the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Hours before, the Peruvian Attorney General expressed her rejection to the violation of the constitutional order, announcing the adoption of legal actions.
«The worst danger we face today as a society is the ‘normalization of corruption’ (…) it is a danger because it undermines the very basis of social coexistence and constitutes a crime that affects human rights», she declared, as reported by the agency’s office.
OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE ASKS THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE FOR CRIMINAL ACTIONS FOR «COUP D’ÉTAT».
The Ombudsman’s Office has asked the Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office to initiate corresponding criminal actions against the former president for «attempted coup d’état». «It is appropriate that he be prosecuted in accordance with current regulations and with respect for due process,» the entity has indicated through its social networks.
In addition, the office has communicated that it notes that the procedures provided by law are being respected in the conditions of Castillo’s detention.
«We notice the clear intention of former president Pedro Castillo to go down the path of an unconstitutional closure of the Peruvian Congress, which is a coup d’état,» said the Ombudsman, Eliana Revollar, as reported by the radio station RPP.
Revollar reiterated her commitment to dialogue and democratic order in the country. «We highlight the role of the Armed Forces in this context, for acting in accordance with the law, in addition to the quick action of the Congress due to the presidential vacancy», she said.
«Democracy must be protected and safeguarded», the Ombudsman added, urging the State and social organizations to unite to strengthen the foundations of democracy, as she stated on Exitosa radio station.
Likewise, the Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office has called on journalists and citizens «not to use phrases or expressions that far from contributing to overcome the political crisis promote division and confrontation between Peruvians».
