The Diplomat
The Spanish government yesterday “firmly condemned the rupture of constitutional order in Peru” and welcomed “the re-establishment of democratic normality”, following the decision of removed president Pedro Castillo to dissolve the national Congress and his arrest shortly afterwards.
In a brief statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that “Spain will always be on the side of democracy and the defence of constitutional legality“.
The country’s new president is Dina Boluarte, who was sworn in a few hours later and immediately had rejected Pedro Castillo’s decision on social media. Boluarte, who announced her intention to remain head of state until 2026, clearly underlined that “this is a coup d’état that aggravates the political and institutional crisis that Peruvian society will have to overcome with strict adherence to the law”.
Castillo was arrested three hours after announcing, in a message to the nation, his decision to “temporarily” dissolve the Peruvian Congress, which was scheduled to begin a debate on his possible impeachment. The removed president said in his speech that “in response to the demands of the citizens, we have decided to establish a government of exception aimed at re-establishing the rule of law and democracy”.
Castillo’s controversial announcement provoked an immediate chain of resignations within his own government, beginning with the foreign minister, César Landa, who was joined shortly afterwards by the justice minister, Félix Chero. The Army Commander General, Walter Córdoba, and Ferrero Costa, Peruvian ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS), among others, also resigned.
Even Vladimiro Cerrón, president of Perú Libre (under whose acronym Castillo ran for president), admitted that Castillo had “made a mistake” because there was not enough majority in Congress to remove him from office.
Congress was meanwhile able to begin its scheduled plenary session, in an emergency meeting, and voted almost unanimously against the dissolution decreed by Castillo. The result of the vote exceeded the 87 votes needed for the president’s dismissal: 101 in favour, 6 against and 10 abstentions.
For her part, the president of the judiciary, Elvia Barrios, appeared in public to “condemn all actions that break the constitutional and legal order” and to ask “the corresponding institutions to remain firm and society to remain vigilant”.
The armed forces and police issued a joint communiqué stating that they did not support Castillo and were unwilling to carry out his orders because “any act contrary to the constitutional order generates non-compliance”.
Castillo’s self-coup, reminiscent of the one carried out by Alberto Fujimori in 1992, took place in the midst of a major corruption scandal involving himself, his family and his closest collaborators.
