Just hours after Peruvian President Pedro Castillo attempted to effect a coup by dissolving the Congress and installing an emergency government to rule by decree, he was ousted.
Political leaders across the spectrum were outraged and quickly denounced his actions as a coup attempt.
President Pedro Castillo spoke just hours before Congress had scheduled a vote on impeaching him on corruption charges. After Mr. Castillo’s announcement, Congress moved up its meeting and swiftly voted to remove him from office.
The president’s attempt to challenge the impeachment vote plunged the fragile democracy into its biggest political crisis in years.
His announcement that he was establishing an emergency government, “to reestablish the rule of law and democracy,’’ and that elections would be held for a new Congress “with the ability to draft a new Constitution,” was received by outrage and it quickly became apparent that his announcement had little support, prompting the mass resignation of much of his government and a joint statement from Peru’s armed forces and the police suggesting that Mr. Castillo did not have the legal authority to carry out his decree and would not support him.
The U.S. Embassy in Lima also issued a statement condemning Mr. Castillo. “The United States emphatically urges President Castillo to reverse his attempt to close Congress and allow democratic in institutions in Peru to work according to the constitution,’’ the embassy said in a tweet. “We encourage the Peruvian public to stay calm during this uncertain time.”
Local television showed images of Mr. Castillo and his family leaving the presidential palace and Vice President Dina Boluarte was scheduled to sworn in as president on Wednesday afternoon, making her the first woman to hold that office in Peru.
Following Mr. Castillo’s announcement, his personal attorney and several members of his administration resigned, including the ministers of economy, justice and human rights, environment, transportation, culture and women; the ambassador at the Organization of American States; and the minister of foreign affairs, who tweeted that the president’s decision was “violating the Constitution.”
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