PanaTimes

Sunday, Mar 26, 2023

Judge extends pretrial detention for Peru’s ex-President Castillo

Judge extends pretrial detention for Peru’s ex-President Castillo

The former president will now serve 36 months as he awaits trial on charges including rebellion and organised crime.
A judge in Peru has lengthened the duration of former President Pedro Castillo’s pre-trial detention from 18 months to 36, as the disgraced head of state faces charges stemming from his attempt to dissolve Congress and rule by decree in December.

Judge Juan Carlos Checkley handed down the decision on Thursday in the wake of an additional investigation announced in February.

Prosecutors at the time formalised plans to probe Castillo’s short tenure in office on charges of influence peddling, organised crime and acting as an accomplice to collusion.

Two of Castillo’s ministers were also implicated in February’s announcement and on Thursday, they were likewise given 36 months in pre-trial detention. They include ex-transportation minister Juan Silva and Geiner Alvarado, formerly in charge of housing.

Thursday’s decision could see Castillo in pre-trial detention through March 2026.

While the judge explained that the extended detention was to prevent Castillo from fleeing the country or interfering in the investigation, the ex-president’s lawyer Eduardo Pachas said his client was being “politically persecuted”, according to the El Comercio newspaper.

Pachas added that Castillo planned to appeal the judge’s decision. Castillo has denied all charges against him, including allegations that he led a criminal network while in office.

In a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday, the former president wrote: “I reiterate my innocence regarding the false facts that I am accused of and denounce again this unjust kidnapping for serving my country loyally as President of the Republic.”

Castillo has been in custody since December 7, when — on the eve of a third impeachment hearing in Peru’s Congress — he issued a televised statement dissolving the Congress and announcing a “government of exception”.

The move prompted widespread criticism with many calling it a coup. By the end of the day, Congress had voted in an overwhelming majority to impeach Castillo and remove him from office. He was subsequently detained by police.

His former vice president, Dina Boluarte, was quickly sworn in as his replacement.

Castillo’s arrest sparked widespread protests across Peru, particularly in the rural regions that formed his political stronghold. Originally from the small town of San Luis de Puña in northwestern Peru, Castillo had been a dark-horse candidate in the 2021 presidential race, narrowly edging out right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori in a run-off election.

A former union organiser and school teacher, the left-wing Castillo campaigned on populist themes, with slogans like “Only The People Will Save The People” and “No More Poor People in a Rich Country”.

Since Castillo’s removal from office, anti-government protests have gripped Peru, with more than 60 people killed and hundreds injured amid clashes with law enforcement. Boluarte and members of her government currently face an investigation into their roles in the deaths.

The protesters, many of them Indigenous or rural Peruvians, have shut down airports, blocked roads and organised marches to call for Castillo’s release, Boluarte’s resignation, new elections and a revised constitution.

Several Latin American leaders have also spoken out in support of Castillo, including Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Tensions with Peru have risen as López Obrador granted asylum to Castillo’s family, later calling Boluarte a “puppet” of oligarchs.

In February, in the wake of López Obrador’s remarks, Peru withdrew its ambassador to Mexico. It had previously declared Mexico’s ambassador a “persona non grata” in the country.

Castillo faces charges that include rebellion and conspiracy for his actions on December 7.

The additional investigation launched in February will examine whether he and members of his administration were also involved in a scheme to award public contracts in exchange for bribes while in office. Congress had passed a constitutional complaint that month allowing the investigation to proceed.
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanaTimes
Close
0:00
0:00
Singapore’s Prime Minister says China and US need to stabilize relations because world can't afford a confict between the two superpowers
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Police violence in Paris
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
The US government has charged Chinese businessman Guo Wengui with leading a $1 billion fraud scheme that cheated thousands of followers out of their money.
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Drew Barrymore
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
Silicon Valley Bank: Struggles Threaten Tech Startup Ecosystem"
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
Kamala Harris: "The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity."
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada
Nord Stream terror attack: David Sacks breaks down Sy Hersh's story
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
Miracle: El Salvador Search and Rescue teams, with the support of Turkish teams, rescued a woman and a child from the rubble 150 hours after the earthquake
SpaceX, the private space exploration company, made a significant breakthrough in their mission to reach space.
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
×