In a major legal decision, Peru's former president, Pedro Castillo, has been found guilty of rebellion and sentenced to more than eleven years in prison. The Supreme Court's ruling on January 25, 2024, ends a long legal process against the former leader. He was convicted for his attempt to dissolve the country's Congress in 2022. As a result, he will now be held in a special prison in Lima that is reserved for former presidents.
The court decided that Castillo was responsible for what has been called a "self-coup." This happened on December 7, 2022, when he announced on television that he was shutting down the opposition-led Congress and would start ruling by decree. The judges gave him a sentence of 11 years, five months, and 15 days. This is much less than the 34 years that the prosecutors had requested. Castillo was found not guilty on other charges, including abuse of power. During his nine-month trial, the former president, who was a rural teacher before entering politics, insisted he was innocent. He claimed his televised announcement was just him reading "a document without consequence."
This case is a key event in Peru's ongoing political instability. The country has had eight different presidents in just ten years. Castillo, who was elected in 2021 as a representative of the poor, served only 16 months. His time in office was filled with constant conflict with Congress. He tried to dissolve it just as politicians were preparing to impeach him for the third time. After his announcement, he was arrested on his way to the Mexican embassy to ask for asylum. His arrest caused a severe crisis, leading to massive protests. His supporters, many from Indigenous and rural communities, demonstrated, and the government's response was violent. At least 50 people died, and international human rights organizations criticized the government for using too much force.
The situation has also created divisions internationally and within Peru. The Peruvian courts see Castillo's actions as an illegal attempt to seize power. However, he and his supporters believe he was just fighting back against a hostile political system. This view is popular in some other countries, like Mexico. Mexico's decision to grant asylum to one of Castillo's former ministers led Peru to cut diplomatic relations, calling it an "unfriendly act."
With the court refusing his request for house arrest, Castillo will serve his full sentence in prison. He will join other former presidents who are also imprisoned, which highlights Peru's deep political problems. His successor, Dina Boluarte, also faced an impeachment vote in 2024, showing that the country's political troubles are far from over.