Lima, Peru
—
In an unprecedented series of two-day rulings, Peru’s Supreme Court sentenced former President Pedro Castillo to more than 11 years in prison for attempting to dissolve parliament, a day after another former president, Martín Vizcarra, was found guilty of bribery and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
On Thursday, in a special Supreme Court hearing held at Lima’s Barbadillo Prison, Castillo was found guilty by a 2-1 vote of attempting to dissolve Congress and assume special powers in 2022.
The verdict came just one day after Vizcarra was convicted, marking an unprecedented string of convictions within 48 hours at the highest levels of Peruvian politics.
With the convictions of Mr. Castillo and Mr. Vizcarra, Peru adds two more former heads of state to a long list of presidents investigated or sentenced since the early 2000s. The country has had seven presidents in seven years, and nearly all of the recent former presidents have been accused of corruption or abuse of power.
The list also includes Alberto Fujimori, who was imprisoned for 25 years. Alejandro Toledo for 33 years, Ollanta Humala for 15 years. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was then placed under house arrest for three years.
Castillo has been in pre-trial detention since December 7, 2022, after he was arrested for announcing on Peruvian state television that he would dissolve parliament, rule by decree, reorganize the judicial system, and convene a constituent assembly. His announcement sparked protests that left around 50 people dead across the country.
Prosecutors had initially charged him with treason and sought a 34-year prison sentence, but the Supreme Court ruled that no specific crime had been committed. Instead, he was convicted of conspiracy, which carries a lesser penalty.
The ruling said Castillo “abused his use of power” and attempted to dissolve Congress without meeting constitutional requirements. The former leader maintained his innocence throughout the trial, insisting that his televised remarks were simply a “political speech” expressing “people’s protest” and not an official address to the people.
The court said Mr. Castillo tried to contact the Mexican embassy in Lima immediately after his speech “to ensure impunity,” a claim Mr. Castillo also denies. He went to the embassy to drop off his family, but claims he has not applied for asylum.
“Do you think someone could get away with an official police escort?” he told the court during a hearing last week.
The three years he spent in pre-trial detention at Barbadillo Prison will count towards his sentence.
The chamber also ruled against several former Castillo officials, including former Council of Ministers President Betsy Chavez. Former Interior Minister Willy Huerta – Although his sentence was suspended. Anibal Torres, former chief of staff to the Cabinet.
Castillo claimed ministers were unaware of the content of his 2022 speech and said he took full responsibility.
On Wednesday, a day before Castillo’s sentencing, a Lima court sentenced former President Vizcarra to 14 years in prison for bribery. Prosecutors accused Vizcarra of accepting money from private contractors in exchange for public works contracts from 2011 to 2014, when he was governor of Moquegua.
Vizcarra, who ruled Peru from 2018 to 2020, has denied any wrongdoing. A few days ago, as he left the final hearing, he told reporters that “private businessmen made unsubstantiated statements during the trial” and that “there is no basis to justify a conviction.”
Vizcarra was also banned from holding public office for nine years.
Vizcarra was impeached over the same incident before his presidential term was cut short in 2020. He could now return to Barbadillo Prison, where he was placed in preventive detention in August. If so, he would join Castillo, Toledo and Humala in following the path of Fujimori, who passed away last year.
His political fortunes had ramifications. He was elected to Congress in 2021, but was barred from taking office by a 10-year disqualification following the “Vacunagate” scandal, which revealed that several senior government officials, including Vizcarra, received early and irregular coronavirus vaccinations. After Dina Bolarte was removed from office last month, her successor, congressman José Gerri, became Peru’s president.
