Ousted Peruvian President Pedro Castillo is facing charges of rebellion and conspiracy following a failed attempt to dissolve Peru’s Congress on Wednesday.
The disgraced president appeared in court on Thursday, his first public appearance since the dramatic events of Wednesday, when he failed to dissolve Congress shortly before lawmakers were to vote on his impeachment.
Castillo is disputing the charges, with his lawyer, Victor Perez, arguing that a rebellion implies the use of weapons, none of which were used by the former president, Reuters reported. Perez decried Castillo’s arrest as “illegal” and “arbitrary.” Castillo himself declined to address the court when asked if he would like to, only giving simple yes or no answers.
PERUVIAN PRESIDENT PEDRO CASTILLO ARRESTED AFTER COUP ATTEMPT; VICE PRESIDENT SWORN IN
The hearing on Thursday was to decide whether Castillo should be held in preliminary detention until his trial, according to the Guardian. The prosecution argued the former president belongs behind bars.
“It is to be noted that if freed, Mr. Castillo could communicate with government officials to hide or destroy elements of conviction that prevent the investigation of the truth,” the prosecutor argued.
Attempting to preempt an impeachment vote from the country’s right-wing Congress, Castillo announced the dissolution of Congress on Wednesday morning, saying he would rule by decree until new elections were held. The police and military did not back his efforts, dooming the attempted coup before it could get off the ground. His vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in shortly after security forces arrested Castillo on the order of Congress.
Despite his downfall, Castillo still has many supporters, mostly among the poor and indigenous. Protesters coming out in support of the former president clashed with riot police in the capital of Lima on Thursday.
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Castillo won the presidency in 2021 on a far-left platform, which right-wing critics derided as communist. His short presidency was marred by bitter conflicts against the right-wing Congress, which had unsuccessfully impeached him in December 2021 and March of this year before the impeachment on Wednesday.
