In recent days, leftist President Pedro Castillo began to question the Public Ministry and the Congress of the Republic in the face of serious investigations into alleged acts of corruption in his government, which, according to various surveys such as Ipsos and the Institute of Peruvian Studies, has more of 70% citizen disapproval.
“Today before the Peruvian people and in the face of so many accusations that are made, since they do not have the evidence, they have gone to great lengths to create it, since they do not have the evidence, they want to build it. They want to show the country that I have other accounts, here the only accounts I have to give are to the Peruvian people with work and loyalty, with honesty and transparency,” Castillo said this week in a public activity.
The prosecution is investigating Castillo for the irregular promotions in the Armed Forces and the National Police in November of last year. Also for an alleged favoring of a company to achieve a contract with the Peruvian state oil company and for the alleged plagiarism in his master’s thesis. Another ongoing investigation refers to the bidding for a bridge in the country’s jungle.
More recently, the prosecution is investigating an “alleged cover-up” to avoid catching fugitives from his government, including Bruno Pacheco, who was Castillo’s personal secretary, and an alleged criminal organization that would have directed works in the hometown of the Peruvian president: Cajamarca.
Political analyst José Carlos Requena told the voice of america that the president’s criticism of institutions such as the prosecutor’s office and Parliament are part of a strategy to recover support from popular sectors and be his social base in the face of suspicions of corruption against him.
“It is a recurring strategy of populists to turn to radical sectors and offer them clientelistic and private agendas in exchange for support when they have political problems,” he said. He added that Castillo is also seeking to polarize the country to balance the people versus public institutions.
“The president’s only priority, at this time, is to survive in power amid the signs and accusations of corruption against him,” Requena told the newspaper. VOA.
Castillo has also pointed out in his speeches that his family is persecuted by the justice system. “Now they do their feint by paying millions of soles to people who carry out a persecution, a show so that they have to frame the family and say that the corrupt president is there,” said the president.
In recent days, the newspapers El Comercio and La República have revealed that the president’s brothers-in-law would be part of a criminal network that directed works in favor of companies for the city of Cajamarca since last year. One of those involved in this plot is Yenifer Paredes, sister of the Peruvian first lady Lilia Paredes, who is facing a three-year preventive detention order.
For his part, political analyst Hernando Cevallos pointed out that, although President Castillo has made mistakes, the media campaign with the prosecution, the opposition in Congress and a certain part of the media to destabilize the government cannot be ignored. .
“Castillo continues to be a popular reference for a sector of the population. He was elected for five years just like the congressmen. We have a Constitution that, in our opinion, should be changed to give the people more possibilities regarding their future,” said to the Voice of America.
Cevallos considered that if the president leaves office it will be at the will of the people and “it is not a decision of the newspaper El Comercio, María del Carmen Alva, Confiep and the National Mining Society.”
Since when are they interested in Castillo leaving for being corrupt? There are many interests here. They seek to remove Castillo because he does not fully guarantee the economic groups and they do not forgive him for his humble origins for being a teacher and a farmer, ”he indicated to the VOA.
Crossroads with Parliament
President Castillo has also questioned Congress in his public speeches. “Do you know why they ask for the vacancy, the impeachment, the disqualification of the president? They do not like that a farmer, a peasant is in the Palace, “he said last Monday in the city of Huánuco.
Congressman Carlos Anderson considered in dialogue with the VOA that Castillo’s criticism of Parliament is part of a political strategy to try to block the challenges against him for the obvious acts of corruption in the government.
“[Pedro Castillo] He does not care about the institutions, but rather defend himself to prevent them from emptying him as he deserves,” he said.
Anderson stated that Castillo’s attitude demonstrates “the evident moral incapacity” for the position. “A whole year has had an improper behavior of a president. He has built all kinds of entities based on bribes, with public resources, to buy wills. The president has minimal support in the population,” he pointed out.
The parliamentarian indicated that there is an “authoritarian temptation” in Castillo with the criticism made of other state institutions in the midst of the delicate judicial situation that he faces.
In the past year, the opposition has failed to pass two impeachment motions against Castillo in Parliament. However, the president is currently being prosecuted for the crime of treason. This is because last January, during an interview with the journalist Fernando del Rincón of the En Español network, he maintained that he would evaluate giving Bolivia an outlet to the sea.
After the diplomatic scandal, the president had to retract. Despite this, the constitutional accusation against him advances and could lead him to be dismissed and disqualified from exercising public office for 10 years.
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