Topline
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo appeared to be held by police Wednesday, according to multiple reports, following a chaotic day in the country capped by Castillo’s attempt to dissolve the national Congress and install an emergency government in what many observers are calling a coup attempt–this is what we know so far.
Then-presidential candidate Pedro Castillo of Peru waves at his political party’s headquarters on … [+]
Key Facts
Castillo was being held by police Wednesday afternoon, Bloomberg reported, but his legal status is not known—the national police tweeted a picture of officers surrounding Castillo but later deleted the post, according to the Associated Press.
Castillo earlier in the day said he was disbanding Congress and would retain power under an interim government ahead of a planned Congressional vote to impeach him over corruption allegations.
Peru’s Congress then quickly moved up its scheduled vote and approved a measure to remove Castillo from office.
Numerous top administration officials resigned after Castillo’s announcement, while the country’s armed forces and national police released a joint statement saying they would support Castillo’s emergency government.
Congress called for Vice President Dina Boluarte to assume the presidency, and she was sworn into office Wednesday afternoon, according to AP.
Boluarte, who became Peru’s first woman president, denounced Castillo’s actions as a “coup” on Twitter.
Key Background
Castillo was elected president last year in an extremely tight election, beating opponent Keiko Fujimori by only about 44,000 votes out of more than 17.6 million votes cast. He was almost immediately riddled with corruption allegations after taking office, such as claims he personally profited off of public works projects, leading to six federal investigations against him. Castillo, 53, entered office with no political experience and his administration experienced immense turnover in the just over 16 months he served as president. More than 80 ministers served in his government, with many facing criminal probes on their own for allegations as significant as murder, according to the New York Times. Castillo has denied the allegations against him, calling them political attacks based on his inexperience and upbringing as a peasant farmer.
Tangent
German police arrested 25 people Wednesday, accusing them of being far-right terrorists who planned to overthrow the country’s government. Authorities said the group was influenced by the QAnon conspiracy theory popular among the American far-right.
Surprising Fact
Wednesday’s turmoil is hardly unexpected in Peru, a country that has now had six presidents since 2016 amid continuous corruption allegations involving top officials and economic problems that have led to mass protests.
Further Reading
Peru swears in new president amid constitutional crisis (Associated Press)
Peru’s President Quickly Ousted After Moving to Dissolve Congress (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/12/07/peru-in-crisis-heres-what-to-know-after-president-is-detained-by-police/