The Peruvian political crisis started when attempts were made by the Congress of the Republic of Peru to end the government of President-elect Pedro Castillo. The disavowal of his electoral triumph turned into repeated attempts to impeach him on the basis of his "permanent moral incapacity" and the irregular modification of the constitution that resulted in an imbalance of power. For his part, Pedro Castillo has been implicated in various irregular acts now under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office as possible crimes of corruption, without resulting in formal charges.
On 7 December 2022, the Congress of the Republic of Peru was due to hear President Castillo in a new impeachment attempt, but on that day the President sent a message to the nation, dissolving the Congress, declaring a state of emergency and reorganising the judiciary structures, a breaching of the rule of law. The presidential speech was rejected by the main Peruvian institutions, such as the Poder Judicial, the Defensoría del pueblo, theTribunal Constitucional, the Ministerio Público, the armed forces and the police. A few hours after this announcement, Congress approved a new vote to impeach the President, without having heard him as required by the Constitution. Castillo was arrested by his own security guard and held in a public prison with a 7-days preventive detention order.
The current violation of Pedro Castillo’s defence rights is reprehensible and does not resolve the political crisis, but rather exacerbates it. The recent demonstrations in various parts of the country in rejection of the Peruvian Congress show that the population is demanding a change in the political and social contract in Peru.
For this reason, the undersigned organisations of the Americas and the Caribbean call for the voice of the people to be heard and for substantial political reforms to be implemented. The demand for a new political class must be met through new elections; a process that should be accompanied by the United Nations and other inter-American bodies. Finally, the organisations demand that the physical and psychological integrity of Pedro Castillo be respected, as well as the life and integrity of all persons exercising their right to social protest.