The peruvian president peter castle has ensured that the constitutional complaint against him presented to Congress by the National Prosecutor, Patricia Benavides, for different types of crimesIt is part of a conspiracy to remove him. “I want to inform the international community that a new type of coup d’état has begun today,” Castillo said. According to the president, It’s a “chase” which includes not only members of the weakest government in the recent political history of that country but also its “closest environment”.
Castillo said that “a constitutional accusation is being made knowing that the Constitution itself gives the Government prerogatives to lead the country.” Benavides presented an unprecedented accusation before Parliament: the rural teacher who assumed power in July 2021 and, since then, has done nothing but go through political storms of all kinds, with the fall of four prime ministers, heads an alleged criminal organization.
“We have found serious indications of the presumed existence of a criminal organization entrenched in the Government Palace with the purpose of capturing, controlling and directing contracting processes to obtain illicit profits,” said Benavides.
The role of the legislature
Congress, which has twice tried to remove the president, and where the conservative parties have a majority, must evaluate the relevance of the complaint. Castillo has resigned from Peru Libre, the left-wing formation that anointed him as a presidential candidate last year. The legislature is for him an adverse scenario. But, in addition, Castillo has a bad image in much of society. A latest survey shows a disapproval of 67%.
In statements to the radio program RPP, the constitutional lawyer, Luciano López, pointed out one of the possible scenarios that the prosecutor invokes the United Nations Convention against Corruption. “The president is being investigated for crimes contemplated in the treaty, which are in our legislation, in our Penal Code, of course, but they are articulated in what the treaty says.”
The complaint included the former Minister of Transport and Communications, Juan Silva Villegas, and the former head of the Housing, Construction, and Sanitation portfolio, Geiner Alvarado López. The prosecution has arrested five former advisers to the president and also raided the offices and homes of six legislators who belong to the right-wing Popular Action party. The house of the sister of the head of state, Gloria Castillo, has also been the object of a search.
José Palomino, the president’s lawyer, argued that Benavides’ complaint is a “rehash” that seeks to “artificially” create a criminal figure. “All of this has to be proven,” he said, asking that Castillo’s right to defense be respected.