Political earthquake in Peru: Castillo dissolves Congress and establishes a government of exception

The third time was the charm. The president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, has chosen to dissolve Congress three hours before the Chamber began the debate on the possible removal of him for “permanent moral incapacity”, a constitutional figure that somehow substitutes a more direct accusation of corruption. The president has announced his intention to “establish an exceptional government aimed at restoring the rule of law and democracy”, a message that has caused deep concern in the opposition parties due to the memory of the ‘Fujimorazo’ of 1992. Various Legislators have described the decision as a “coup d’état” and demand that Castillo “respect constitutional frameworks,” according to the spokesperson for Together for Peru, Ruth Luque.

The president was facing his third confidence vote, despite having been in power for only 16 months. Of the previous two, in December and March, he emerged unscathed, but this time the scandals for corruption, bribery and favoritism towards his family and political environment are accumulating. With a popular disapproval of 70% of the citizenry, Castillo was facing an accusation that has already removed two other presidents from the Government previously. The vacancy motion, as it is called, requires the consensus of 87 parliamentarians to evict the head of government. Congress is made up of 130 deputies, 80 conservatives and 50 belonging to Castillo’s party and those related to him. Although the opposition does not have a majority, the head of the Executive did not seem to have everything with him regarding the direction of the vote of all his allies. In addition, an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office weighs on him for irregular hiring that could mean his disqualification.

A group of deputies speaks to the media at the headquarters of Congress after the presidential order /

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Given all this, the leader has decided to emulate his predecessor Alberto Fujimori, who in 1992 carried out a self-coup to politically survive the charges against him; among them, that of corruption. Shortly before announcing it, the General Commander of the Army, Walter Córdoba Alemán, has submitted his resignation.

«The following measures are issued: temporarily dissolve the Congress of the Republic and establish an exceptional emergency government; convene in the shortest possible time a new Congress with constituent powers to draft a new Constitution within a period of no more than nine months,” Castillo declared in a message to the nation made from the seat of Government. Visibly nervous, the head of the Executive has ordered a night curfew in anticipation of possible disorders in the streets and has even ordered “all those who possess illegal weapons” to immediately turn them in at police stations under threat of imprisonment. “The reorganization of the judicial system, the Judiciary, the Public Ministry, the National Board of Justice and the Constitutional Court is declared,” he added. The attorney general, Patricia Benavides, has “emphatically rejected any breach of the constitutional order.”

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