Judge denies Peruvian ex-president’s appeal
LIMA, Peru — A judge ordered ousted Peruvian President Pedro Castillo to remain in custody on Tuesday, denying his appeal as authorities build a rebellion case against him.
Supreme Court Judge Cesar San Martin Castro’s decision could further inflame violent protests across the country, where people have been demanding Castillo’s freedom, the resignation of his successor and the immediate scheduling of general elections to pick a new president and replace all members of Congress.
Later this week, prosecutors plan to seek Castillo’s continued detention for up to three years.
Castillo claimed during his hearing Tuesday that he is being “unjustly and arbitrarily detained” and thanked his supporters for their “effort and fight” since he was taken into custody.
The judge said evidence suggests Castillo was intercepted as he tried to reach the Mexican embassy to seek asylum. He was taken into custody shortly after he was ousted by lawmakers when he sought to dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote.
“I will never renounce or abandon this popular cause that has brought me here,” Castillo said. Then, in apparent reference to the violent protests over his ouster, he urged the national police and armed forces to “lay down their arms.”
The protests have been particularly violent outside Peru's capital, Lima. The Ombudsman's Office of Peru decreased to six the death toll to six Tuesday from the demonstrations that began last week. The office in a statement said it eliminated one person from the list after the national records' agency determined the individual “does not exist.”
All deaths happened in rural, impoverished communities — strongholds for Castillo, a former schoolteacher. Four of them occurred in Andahuaylas, a remote rural Andean community. Many businesses in that community remained closed Tuesday, with streets blocked by burned tires, rocks and tree branches.
Attorney Ronaldo Atencio, speaking for Castillo’s legal team, argued that he didn’t raise weapons or organize people capable of overturning the existing government, as Peruvian law requires for someone to be charged with rebellion. He also said Castillo doesn’t present a flight risk, and never sought asylum from Mexico, as confirmed by the Mexican ambassador.
Dina Boluarte, Castillo’s vice president, was swiftly sworn in last week after Congress dismissed Castillo for “permanent moral incapacity.”
In the streets of Lima, officers have doused protesters with tear gas and repeatedly beat them. Outside the capital, demonstrators burned police stations, took over an airstrip used by the armed forces and invaded the runway of an international airport. The national police reported that 130 officers have been injured in clashes with demonstrators, according to state media.
Boluarte begged protesters Tuesday to calm down, explaining that she hadn’t sought the presidency. She said she had instructed the national police to not use any lethal weapons, “not even rubber bullets,” and that authorities are working to determine who used them to prosecute them.