Pedro Castillo Cannot Leave Peru Due to a Corruption Complaint
The Peruvian President, Pedro Castillo, Will not be able to Attend the Inauguration of Colombian President Gustavo Petro after Congress Denied his Departure From the Country.
Photo: TW-PedroCastilloTe
LatinAmerican Post | Santiago Gómez Hernández
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Leer en español: Última Hora: Pedro Castillo guardará silencio por denuncia de corrupción y no puede salir del Perú
These have not been easy years for the administration of Pedro Castillo in Peru. It seems that the constant crisis has become the usual and goes from scandal to scandal that has not allowed him to have a moment of tranquility. Now the president faces a new problem that has left him imprisoned within his own country. Due to an accusation of corruption against the president, Congress has denied him permission to travel from August 6 to 8 to Gustavo Petro's inauguration ceremony.
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67 Peruvian congressmen and women voted in favor of the decision, while only 42 voted against and 5 abstained. And it is that they argued that Castillo cannot leave the national territory due to 5 investigations by the Attorney General's Office against the president and the alleged risk that the political leader could request asylum in the northern country and thus evade these accusations.
Castillo faces rumors of corruption crimes that link him to irregular promotions in the Armed Forces for alleged payments for promotions. Similarly, the Peruvian president has been linked for months with alleged crimes of influence peddling, criminal organization and aggravated collusion involving him, his political and family environment.
"I have told the prosecutor that I am not part of any criminal network, I am going to prove my innocence," Castillo told reporters after attending a reunion at the Attorney General's Office, Patricia Benavides. However, the president's lawyer, Benji Espinoza, later told the media that his client will exercise his right not to answer questions.
Peruvian laws avoid bringing a president in power to trial, but they do not prevent the prosecution from advancing in the investigations, so this is an unprecedented event in the country's recent history. To this fact, we must remember that the last 6 presidents elected by popular vote in Peru have been convicted or accused of corruption.
