Peru lawmakers impeach president

Former President Pedro Castillo was arrested Wednesday for the “alleged crime of rebellion, as defined by article 346 of the Peruvian Penal Code, for violating the constitutional order,” the Public Ministry announced in a statement.

CNN has reached out to Castillo’s defense team for comment regarding the allegations.

Some background: Hours earlier, lawmakers voted to oust Castillo after he attempted to dissolve the legislative body and install an emergency government. His vice president Dina Boluarte was sworn in as his successor.

Dina Boluarte attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok, Thailand on November 19.

Dina Boluarte took office as the new president of Peru on Wednesday after the country’s Congress ousted Pedro Castillo through a vacancy motion following his attempt to dissolve the governing body.

Boluarte became the country’s first female president, and just a few hours before, had served as Peru’s vice president. Boluarte will complete the mandate as president until July 2026. It is the sixth time that Peru has had a new president in less than five years.

In her first speech, Boluarte called for a “political truce to install a government of national unity” and said that she will fight corruption.

Boluarte is a 60-year-old lawyer who graduated from the Universidad Particular San Martín de Porres, where she also did her Master’s studies, according to a resume published on the government’s platform. 

She began her political career in 2007 at the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (known as Reniec) in Surco, Peru, serving as an adviser to senior management and, later, as the head in charge. In 2018, she was a candidate for mayor of Surquillo with the Perú Libre Party. Two years later, in 2020, she participated in a round of parliamentary elections, but did not win a seat.

During the 2021 general elections, she was a candidate for the vice presidency for the Perú Libre party. The Castillo ticket was victorious in the second round after obtaining 8,836,380 of the votes, according to the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE).

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President Pedro Castillo announced Wednesday that he would temporarily dissolve Congress, hours before the legislative body met for a motion of censure against the president and approved his dismissal.

But what does the Constitution of Peru say about this? The constitutional text gives the president the power to dissolve Congress — but only in some cases.

Castillo’s decision to dissolve Congress was an unconstitutional measure, according to the consensus of constitutional analysts in Peru.

According to Article 134, the president is empowered to dissolve Congress “if it has censured or denied its confidence” in two government ministers – known as members of the Council of Ministers – something that has not happened in the country.

What did occur is that on Nov. 11, the Peruvian Congress refused to address the procedure known as a “question of confidence” requested by the executive. Days later, Castillo accepted the resignation of the president of the Council of Ministers, Aníbal Torres.

Torres submitted his resignation after the administrators of the Congress, known as the “Mesa directiva,” rejected his request to change the circumstances under which a referendum could be called.

Even if the legality of the request was a matter of debate, there was still no second censure or denial of confidence in a government minister, as is required under the Constitution, making Castillo’s dissolution bid illegal.

Wednesday’s motion of impeachment was the third attempt against Castillo – and the fifth for a sitting president in the last five years.

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The government of Colombia expressed concern about the situation in Peru and said it stood “in solidarity with the brotherly Peruvian people” while calling for political figures to enter into dialogue “to safeguard democracy.”

Colombia is one of Peru’s neighboring countries.

Vice President Dina Boluarte gets sworn in as the new President of Peru in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday.

Vice President Dina Boluarte has been sworn in as the new President of Peru after former President Pedro Castillo was impeached earlier on Wednesday.

Boluarte becomes Peru’s first female president and the sixth in under five years in the country.

During her first speech to lawmakers, Boluarte reiterated her criticism of former President Pedro Castillo’s actions on Wednesday.

Boluarte asked lawmakers for a political truce in order to establish a “unity government” and announced she will call for a wider dialogue in order to govern. 

The new president highlighted her humble beginnings, saying, “I was born in a very small town in Peru with a family that lived with limitations.” 

Boluarte is a lawyer and was born in Chalhuanca, Apurimac. 

Brazil has said it’s following the internal political situation in Peru “with concern,” according to a statement released by Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. 

“The Brazilian Government expresses its willingness to continue maintaining the solid relations of friendship and cooperation that unite the two countries and wishes President Dina Boluarte success in her mission as Head of the Peruvian State.” the statement added. 

An unfolding situation: Peru’s President Pedro Castillo has been detained by police in the capital city Lima, a source with knowledge of the case told CNNE, after lawmakers voted to oust him in a tumultuous day for the South American nation.

Vice President Dina Boluarte was sworn in as the new President of Peru.

Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo being detained in Lima Prefecture.

Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo has been detained in Lima Prefecture, a source with knowledge of the case told CNN en Español.

The same source says the former president’s lawyer is the former Prime Minister Aníbal Torres.

Pedro Castillo holds a press conference at the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, Chile on November 29.

Elected in July 2021 by a narrow margin in a runoff, Peru President Pedro Castillo has faced a cascade of investigations on whether he used his position to benefit himself, his family and his closest allies by peddling influence to gain favor or preferential treatment, among other claims.

The scrutiny into his past comes as lawmakers have voted to impeach Castillo on Wednesday after he attempted to dissolve the legislative body and install an emergency government.

Castillo has repeatedly denied all allegations and reiterated his willingness to cooperate with any investigation. He argues the allegations are a result of a witch-hunt against him and his family from groups that failed to accept his election victory.

The president faces five preliminary criminal investigations on allegations of masterminding corruption schemes while in office. These include prosecutors’ allegation that he led a “criminal network” that interfered with public institutions such as the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Housing and Peru’s state-run oil company to control public bidding processes and benefit specific companies and close allies.

Prosecutors are also investigating whether the president led efforts to peddle influence in the process of promoting officers in both the armed forces and national police.

Investigations also focused on family: Widening beyond the president himself, these investigations also look into Castillo’s family, including his wife and sister-in-law. First lady Lilia Paredes is being investigated on suspicion of allegedly coordinating the criminal network. Her attorney, Benji Espinoza, has stressed her innocence and argues the investigation against the first lady includes “a number of flaws and omissions.”

And her sister-in-law Yenifer Paredes is under investigation for allegedly being a part of a criminal organization, money laundering and aggravated collusion. She was in custody until a judge revoked her “preventive detention” for 30 months. She too has denied any wrongdoing.

Lawmakers sing their national anthem inside Congress in Lima, Peru on Wednesday.

Peruvian lawmakers have voted to oust President Pedro Castillo, dramatically escalating Wednesday’s political crisis that began hours earlier when Castillo attempted to dissolve the legislative body and install an emergency government.

Congress began its session on Wednesday with lawmakers singing the national anthem. A majority of 101 lawmakers in the 130-person congress later voted to impeach Castillo, with the body announcing that Vice President Dina Boluarte will be sworn in as the new President of Peru.

The vote sent a clear message of defiance after Castillo announced plans for early parliamentary elections to work on a new constitution in a televised speech from the Presidential Palace, which also prompted a string of cabinet resignations and fiery reactions from top officials.

Francisco Morales, the president of Peru’s Constitutional Court, urged Boluarte to assume the presidency in a speech prior to the congressional vote.

Boluarte on Twitter also criticized Castillo’s dissolution plan.

A least seven cabinet ministers resigned, including Minister of Environment Wilbert Rozas, Finance Minister Kurt Burneo, Foreign Relations Minister Cesar Landa, and Justice Minister Felix Chero.

The United States “categorically” rejects “any act that undermines democracy” in Peru after former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve the Peruvian Congress and was subsequently impeached, according to the State Department.

“We will continue to stand against and to categorically reject any acts that contradict Peru’s constitution, any act that undermines democracy in that country,” said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

In a statement on Twitter, US Ambassador to Peru Lisa Kenna delivered that same message, saying the US “categorically” rejected Castillo’s “extraconstitutional” action, and urged him to reverse course. She also called on the Peruvian public to remain calm.

A number of Peruvian cabinet officials resigned in the wake of Castillo’s actions, as did the Peruvian ambassador to the US. In a resignation letter shared by the embassy, Oswaldo de Rivero cited his convictions and democratic values.