Amid deadly protests against the ousting of former president Pedro Castillo on Wednesday, which have so far claimed seven lives, Peru announced a state of emergency throughout the country. A court had ruled that Castillo must spend an additional 48 hours in jail before a hearing on his release due to allegations of conspiracy and rebellion. After Castillo attempted to dissolve congress and govern by decree and was arrested last week, there were days of widespread protest that soon snowballed into bloodshed.
The new 30-day state of emergency was declared by Defense Minister Alberto Otarola in response to “violent acts, road obstructions, and damage.”
The measure, according to him, “involves the restriction of the freedom of movement and assembly” and may potentially entail a curfew at night.
By requesting that elections be pushed up to December 2023, the new president, Dina Boluarte, attempted to defuse tensions once more.
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Boluarte had previously said on Sunday that she would work to move the 2026 election to 2024, but that did not placate Castillo’s supporters, who demanded that he be released immediately and elections be held then.
Castillo was supposed to be released on Wednesday after a court last week ordered him to be detained for seven days.
Prosecutors, however, asked to keep him in pre-trial custody for 18 months in a late Tuesday filing.
Defense counsel stated that they had not received all of the documents from the public prosecutor on Wednesday, so Judge Juan Checkley decided to postpone the hearing on the new motion until Thursday.
He also mandated that Castillo be held in custody for a further 48 hours.
In the politically unstable South American country, where Castillo, a Marxist former teacher, only in office for 17 months, the country is currently on its sixth president in six years.
Six investigations into him and his family, primarily for corruption, and a power struggle with the opposition-dominated Congress characterise his brief term in government.
(With inputs from agencies)
