Peruvian congress dismisses socialist Castillo after attempted coup d’état

Minutes after then President Pedro Castillo attempted a coup d’état, announcing the dissolution of Congress and the establishment of an “emergency government”, the Peruvian Legislature held an emergency session and declared a presidential vacancy (the equivalent in Peruvian law to the impeachment) for permanent moral incapacity this Wednesday (7). Then the now deposed president was arrested.

In this way, the presidency will be assumed by Vice Dina Boluarte, who shortly before had rejected Castillo’s coup attempt. “I reject Pedro Castillo’s decision to break the constitutional order with the closure of Congress. It is a blow that aggravates the political and institutional crisis that Peruvian society will have to overcome with strict compliance with the law,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ministers of State had announced their resignation after Castillo’s speech. Boluarte must take the oath to assume the presidency this Wednesday, according to the newspaper El Comercio.

Castillo had dissolved Congress hours before the vote on the presidential vacancy, proposed for the third time since the beginning of his term (he took office in July 2021). The administration of the ousted president was marked by allegations of corruption and in October the Peruvian Public Ministry denounced him for fraud in bids.

By dissolving Congress, Castillo announced that elections would be called for a new Legislature, with constituent powers, which should approve a new Magna Carta within a maximum of nine months.

Shortly before Congress approved Castillo’s vacancy, the Armed Forces and the National Police of Peru had pointed out in a statement that they “respect the established constitutional order”, and that this “establishes that the President of the Republic has the power to dissolve Congress, if he has censored or denied his confidence in two Councils of Ministers”, which did not happen – at the end of November, Castillo appointed the fifth prime minister of his government, Betssy Chávez, but she would still need to undergo a vote of confidence.

“Any act contrary to the established constitutional order constitutes a violation of the Constitution and generates non-compliance on the part of the Armed Forces and the National Police”, alleged the Armed Forces and the National Police.