On March 14, 2022, the Congress of the Republic approved the admission of a vacancy motion in against the President of the Republic, Pedro Castillo. This not only marks the beginning of a new political crisis in Peru, but Castillo becomes the third president with a dismissal process in five years. The date for the debate will be 28 March.
76 votes in favor were those that started this vacancy process, the second attempt in almost eight months of administration of the current head of state. These were the benches of Alliance for Progress (APP), Popular Action, Popular Force, Popular Renewal (PR), Avanza Pais, Podemos Peru and even Somos Perú, a party that had seemed to be an ally of the Government.
Only Peru Libre, Together for Peru and Democratic Peru voted against.
The date and time for the debate and voting was set for March 28 at 3:00 p.m. This despite Jorge Montoya's (RP) previous issue to take place on March 18 - dismissed after being put to the vote during the Meeting of Spokespersons.
THREE PRESIDENTS IN FIVE YEARS
Within five years, the Congress of the Republic filed vacancy motions for Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who ended up resigning his post in April 2018, amid a second vacancy process; and Martín Vizcarra, who was emptied on November 9, 2020 .
PPK's impeachment may have started because of its affiliations to the Odebrecht case, but undoubtedly the hardest blow was when Fuerza Popular released the “Kenjivideos”. These revealed attempts to buy votes in Congress to avoid vacancy - in his first attempt, before Alberto Fujimori was pardoned.
In the case of Vizcarra, the vacancy also occurred on the second attempt. The reason was also under the “permanent moral incapacity”, the same as the motion against Pedro Castillo. The initiative was driven by accusations of corruption for alleged events that occurred when he was governor of the southern region of Moquegua (2011-2014).
PEDRO CASTILLO WAS
On March 14, the head of Parliament, María del Carmen Alva, sent a letter to the president informing him about the admission to debate of the vacancy motion.
“During the session, you may personally exercise your right of defense or be assisted by a lawyer, for a total of sixty minutes,” the document reads.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Pedro Castillo will personally attend Parliament to exercise his defense or whether he will send his lawyer.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO EMPTY PEDRO CASTILLO?
The document of the vacancy motion states that “President Pedro Castillo has unknown his own statements about the meetings he held with the Mrs. Karelim López Arredondo in Government Palace. Thus, in an interview with CNN he publicly declared that he had received it at the Government Palace on October 18, 2021. However, in the answers given to the prosecutor he totally denies the fact by saying that 'he cannot specify that there is such a meeting'”.
In total, there are 20 facts set out in the vacancy motion:
-Contradictions and lies of President Castillo in tax investigations.
-Appointments of Ministers of State.
-Existence of a parallel cabinet or “cabinet in the shadows”
-Questioned businessmen met with Castillo.
-Express their intention to convene a popular consultation on the “outing to the sea” to Bolivia.
-President Pedro Castillo involved in the solicitation of bribes for police promotions.
-President Castillo held secret meetings with State suppliers in a house in Breña, and refuses to give the list of assistants.
-Silence of the president on the discovery of 20 thousand dollars in the bathroom of Pacheco's office in the Government Palace.
- The Tarata III consortium, made up of a company advised by Karelim López (one of the visitors to Breña), won a millionaire tender. Crime in investigation: trading in influence.
- Eric Huaymana, chauffeur of President Pedro Castillo, deposited S/20 thousand to Bruno Pacheco. Crime under investigation: illicit enrichment.
- Witness told the Prosecutor's Office that the daughter of the then Minister of Education, Carlos Gallardo, had leaked evidence from teachers to teachers. After this and other questions, Gallardo was censored by Congress.
- Panorama revealed that Pedro Castillo received Karelim López and managers of Petroperú and Heaven Petroleum at the same time in Palacio. The latter company then won a millionaire tender for the sale of biodiesel. Crimes: collusion and incompatible negotiation.
- Leaders of Free Peru paid S/40,000 to hacker for deleting information. Crime under investigation: money laundering.
- Petroperu officials complained to the Prosecutor's Office that the investigated manager Hugo Chávez ordered the removal of evidence of the irregular tender. The entity had to cancel the contract.
- President Pedro Castillo confirmed to the Prosecutor's Office that he exchanged with former Commander Vizcarra about the process of military promotions.
- Aspiring effective collaborator organized a party for the daughter of Pedro Castillo, who claims to know nothing about the fact.
-President Pedro Castillo illegally appoints Daniel Salaverry as president of Perupetro, without fulfilling the profile.
-He acknowledges that he is not ready to be president of the country.
-Interference in the appointment of ministers.
-The revelations of Karelim López Arredondo as an aspiring effective collaborator.
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