In an important legal decision, a court has sentenced former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo to more than eleven years in prison. The Supreme Court gave its ruling on Thursday, January 25, 2024. It found the former leader guilty of rebellion for his attempt to shut down the country's Congress in 2022. This event marks his fall from being president to being a prisoner in a special jail for former leaders in Lima.
The court decided that Castillo was responsible for what is called a "self-coup." This happened on December 7, 2022, when he announced on television that he was dissolving the opposition-led Congress and would rule by himself. The judges sentenced him to 11 years, five months, and 15 days. This is much less than the 34 years that the prosecutors wanted. The court did not find him guilty of other charges, like abuse of power. Castillo, who was a teacher before he became president, always said he was not guilty. He claimed his televised announcement was just him reading "a document without consequence."
This situation is part of the bigger political problems in Peru, a country that has had eight presidents in ten years. Castillo was elected in 2021 and was often in conflict with Congress. He tried to dissolve it when he was facing his third impeachment vote. After his announcement, police arrested him on the same day while he was going to the Mexican embassy to ask for safety. His arrest caused major protests across the country. His supporters, especially from rural and Indigenous communities, demonstrated, and the government's response was very forceful, leading to many deaths.
The case shows how divided people are, both inside Peru and in other countries. The Peruvian court sees Castillo's actions as an illegal attempt to take power. However, he and his supporters believe he was fighting against a hostile political system. Other countries are also involved. For example, Mexico gave safety to one of Castillo's former ministers, which Peru saw as an unfriendly act.
Castillo will now serve his time in prison with other former presidents. This is a strong symbol of Peru's ongoing political troubles. His successor, Dina Boluarte, also faced an impeachment vote in 2024, showing that the country's political crisis is far from over.