[News] The Imminent Coup in Peru

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://orinocotribune.com/the-imminent-coup-in-peru/ The Imminent Coup in
PeruJune 29, 2021
------------------------------

Legal maneuvers and delays, presented by the far-right, are pushing Peru
closer to a coup with each passing day. It’s been 20 days since Peru’s June
6th election, and the authorities have not yet proclaimed the winner, Pedro
Castillo.

According to the law, a new President must be proclaimed by July 28th, and
if this state of limbo continues until then, the electoral process will
have to be thrown out and a coup will have been consolidated.

Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo won the presidential election in Peru,
receiving 50.125% of the vote, the equivalent of 44,000 votes more than
far-right candidate Keiko Fujimori. Fujimori presented a number of motions
to annul votes in provinces that delivered landslide victories for
Castillo, claiming the existence of ‘irregularities’. The motions have been
analyzed and thrown out by the electoral authorities. Nevertheless, no
winner has been officially declared President-elect.

After rejecting Fujimori’s motions, Peru’s national electoral court, the
JNE, was suddenly thrown into chaos on Wednesday (June 23rd) when a member
of the court and known Fujimori supporter, Luis Arce Cordova, resigned. The
resignation meant that the court no longer had a quorum and thus could not
declare Castillo’s victory.

RELATED CONTENT: Former Peruvian President Asks that Pedro Castillo’s
Victory Be Finally Proclaimed
<https://orinocotribune.com/former-peruvian-president-asks-that-pedro-castillos-victory-be-finally-proclaimed/>

If Castillo is not proclaimed President by July 28th, due to bad faith
delays and maneuvers of this nature, then the law stipulates that Congress
must convene and elect a President. Right-wing forces currently have a
majority in the legislature and would be able to elect one of their own and
call for new elections, thereby annulling Pedro Castillo’s victory.

At a street level, retired military officers have been holding rallies
<https://diariocorreo.pe/edicion/lima/san-borja-militares-en-retiro-realizan-movilizacion-denominada-respeta-mi-voto-fotos-elecciones-generales-del-peru-2021-pedro-castillo-keiko-fujimori-nndc-noticia/?ref=dcr>
in
Lima to demand a coup to prevent Pedro Castillo from being sworn in. This
follows numerous letters asking for the same. Many of the Congressional
lawmakers who would be in charge of electing a President after the 28th
were present
<https://diariocorreo.pe/edicion/lima/san-borja-militares-en-retiro-realizan-movilizacion-denominada-respeta-mi-voto-fotos-elecciones-generales-del-peru-2021-pedro-castillo-keiko-fujimori-nndc-noticia/?ref=dcr>
at
those marches.

Peru’s electoral authorities were then hit by another bombshell from
Fujimori supporters. On Thursday, June 24th, leaked audios
<https://larepublica.pe/elecciones/2021/06/25/elecciones-2021-vladimiro-montesinos-apoyo-a-keiko-fujimori-en-segunda-vuelta-pltc/?ref=lre>
from
Vladimiro Montesinos, the jailed right-hand man of former dictator Alberto
Fujimori, revealed significant attempts by him to meddle in the National
Electoral Court (JNE) and possible collusion with the United States embassy.

RELATED CONTENT: Peru: Scandal Involves Montesinos in Keiko Fujimori
Maneuver
<https://orinocotribune.com/peru-scandal-involves-montesinos-in-keiko-fujimori-maneuver/>

The audio that was leaked to the media shows Montesinos giving instructions
to Keiko Fujimori staffers, informing them that his friend has a
relationship with three members of the JNE and that this should be
exploited to help Fujimori. Montesino’s closing remark on the audio states:

“There is no other way, there is no other way because it’s been a long time
now… on the issue of the U.S. embassy … they have had to handle this
differently. You can still do the embassy thing, as I am explaining to you
… but make it clear to the father [Alberto], or the girl [Keiko],
understand, I don’t know who you are talking to… I don’t want to be
contaminated … we are trying to help in a common goal. What do I get from
this? Nothing. I’m not interested and I’m never going to ask them for
anything either, I’m just trying to help because otherwise they’re screwed,
the girl will end up in prison … that’s the situation, right?”

Montesinos is currently in jail for corruption and human rights abuses
during the Fujimori dictatorship and is being held at a naval base. The
Peruvian Navy has confirmed
<https://twitter.com/naval_peru/status/1408507838452879363> that Montesinos
did make phone calls on the date in question, to a number registered to his
wife, but that they are now opening an investigation into whether he was,
in fact, speaking with the unauthorized persons that appear in the audio.

As the forces behind Keiko Fujimori apply pressure upon the electoral
authorities, Pedro Castillo supporters are also mobilizing on the streets
of Lima and say that they will not leave until Castillo has been duly sworn
in as President.

Vice President-elect Dina Boluarte has denounced the ongoing coup attempt
by Fujimori, declaring at a press conference on Friday, “There is an
organized criminal gang that is working to generate a coup d’etat,
pretending that there was a fraud, which has been totally dismissed”


<https://orinocotribune.com/author/yullma/>
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