"But after he appeared on television to impose a state of emergency and suspend the legislature for eroding the rule of law, Congress swiftly voted for his removal. He was arrested the same day. Castillo, a former teacher and union leader, was charged with rebellion and conspiracy against the state for his alleged power grab, which some have described as a self-coup."
"A left-leaning, socially conservative politician from Peru's rural north, Castillo had faced up to 34 years in prison at his sentencing. Prosecutors in the case argued that Castillo aimed to undermine Peru's Constitution with his actions. But at trial last week, Castillo denied the charges against him. Addressing his televised 2022 speech, he said he merely read out a document without consequence."
"Castillo is part of a series of presidents in recent decades to face investigations and criminal charges in Peru. The country has had eight presidents within the last 10 years alone. After his surprise victory in the 2021 presidential election, Castillo, now 56, was dubbed the country's first president of the poor, given his working-class roots in the northern city of Puna."
Pedro Castillo received an 11 years, five months and 15 days prison sentence for attempting to dissolve Congress on December 7, 2022, amid a third impeachment process. He declared a state of emergency and sought to suspend the legislature, prompting swift congressional removal and his same-day arrest. Charged with rebellion and conspiracy, prosecutors said his actions aimed to undermine the Constitution; Castillo denied wrongdoing, saying he only read a document on television. A former teacher and union leader from rural northern Peru, Castillo served about 16 turbulent months marked by ministerial turnover and clashes with an opposition-led Congress, which sparked protests among his rural and Indigenous supporters.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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