Castillo to share prison with Alberto Fujimori as Boluarte takes office in Peru

Analysts immediately thought of Alberto Fujimori’s 1992 self-coup on Wednesday when deposed Peruvian President Pedro Castillo announced he would dissolve Congress. Now, the two disgraced former presidents will be sharing the same prison.

Mr. Castillo was detained yesterday as he tried to flee the presidential palace, after Peru’s Armed Forces refused to follow his orders. After spending a few hours in a jail near Lima’s city center, he was moved to a special police prison in the nearby district of Ate during the night — the same prison in which Mr. Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

The recently-ousted left-wing rural teacher is being prosecuted for rebelling against state powers and the constitutional order, a crime which could see him sentenced with up to 20 years in prison. Many political factors could come into play, however, with amnesty and exile all potentially on the cards.

For now, Mr. Castillo is politically isolated, with his Vice President Dina Boluarte denouncing his move as a coup d’état and taking on his former position yesterday in Congress.

Even former left-wing allies such as Verónika Mendoza and Vladimir Cerrón distanced themselves from Mr. Castillo’s actions, as did most of his key ministers, who tendered their resignations in protest yesterday before Congress voted to oust him.

Ms. Boluarte’s swearing-in ceremony makes her the first female president in Peruvian history, but she faces many challenges. She could technically see out the remainder of Mr. Castillo’s term until 2026, but there will be pressure for her to call early elections.

Just like Mr. Castillo, Ms. Boluarte was also facing congressional investigations, but those were dismissed shortly before the events on Wednesday.

Right-wingers like Keiko Fujimori — the daughter of former president Alberto who came second behind Mr. Castillo in the 2021 presidential runoff — said her Fuerza Popular party thanked Ms. Boluarte for her actions and would offer its support now that she takes office. 

That backing will be crucial for Ms. Boluarte to navigate a hostile Congress and not fall into the same traps as Mr. Castillo.

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