President of Peru says that his country is experiencing an “unprecedented institutional crisis”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Peruvian President Pedro Castillo rejected the accusations of corruption on Tuesday and said in a speech in Congress that the country is experiencing a deep crisis of its institutions, one day after legislators approved starting a political trial seeking his impeachment.

Castillo, a rural teacher who assumed the presidency in July, affirmed that he will soon send to Congress a set of reforms to overcome “this structural crisis”, to reverse the political uncertainty that the country is going through.

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“Peru is experiencing an unprecedented institutional crisis,” Castillo said in a speech that lasted just over an hour.

The president stated that several institutions in the country “have a crisis of legitimacy” and mentioned, among others, the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office, which do not achieve final sentences “in major corruption cases,” and the Constitutional Court, which has most of its members with expired terms.

This Monday, the mainly right-wing opposition parties in Congress gave the green light to launch a political trial against Castillo seeking, for the second time in less than four months, to oust the leftist president.

Congress summoned the president to attend on March 28 and respond to the accusations that link him to cases of corruption in his government and alleged constitutional offenses during his functions. Castillo can go with his lawyer or send only his defense attorney to answer the accusations.

Later, at a press conference, Prime Minister Anibal Torres stated that he had asked Castillo to propose in Congress a law to advance the elections by mid-2023, but the president did not accept and told him: “let’s make the last attempt” for consultation. The next general election must be held in the first quarter of 2026.

In his presentation in Congress this Tuesday, requested by the president himself, Castillo denied all the accusations, although he accepted, without specifying, mistakes during his administration. “I must recognize the errors and mistakes that we have incurred. I express to the parliament and the country my encouragement of amendment and correction,” he said. “Management errors are one thing and the supposed crimes in which they intend to involve me are another.”

Since he took office, Castillo has appointed four cabinets. His third prime minister lasted just a few days before resigning after hearing a complaint of domestic violence.

Support for the Castillo administration has fallen rapidly amid scandals and social protests.

The Ipsos Peru firm said last week that approval of Castillo rose one percentage point in March to 26%, while rejection of his management fell three points to 66%.

Castillo, however, launched an olive branch in Congress.

“It is time to put an end to petty disputes and work for national objectives. It is time to put an end to polarization and uncertainty, which impede our growth,” said the Peruvian president.

To remove Castillo from office, parliament must gather at least 87 votes from the 130 legislators, an unlikely scenario given the divisions in the opposition.