[News] Peruvian Congress Presents Motion to Impeach Pedro Castillo

[Anti-Imperialist News]

orinocotribune.com 
<https://orinocotribune.com/peruvian-congress-presents-motion-to-impeach-pedro-castillo/> 



  Peruvian Congress Presents Motion to Impeach Pedro Castillo

November 28, 2021
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On Thursday, November 25, representatives from three right-wing parties 
presented a formal impeachment request to remove leftist president Pedro 
Castillo, who has been in power for only four months. The 
representatives allege that Castillo has displayed a “moral incapacity” 
to exercise his executive functions.

A similar clause in the Constitution was used successfully to remove 
Peru’s President Martín Vizcarra from office in November 2020. 
Vizcarra’s removal, viewed as a soft coup by many, triggered widespread 
demonstrations. Peruvians’ demands included the formation of a 
Constituent Assembly, one of the pillars of Castillo’s presidential 
campaign, culminating in his victory in the elections of June, 2021. 
Including Castillo, Peru has had five acting presidents since 2016.

*The details
*the “vacancy” motion was presented by representatives from the Go Forth 
Country (Social Integration), Popular Force and Popular Renewal parties, 
which represent a third of all parliament seats. The representatives 
were able to gather 28 signatures, two more than the required number 
needed to initiate an impeachment process before the Congressional 
plenary session.

However, these signatures do not guarantee that a motion for debate will 
be granted before the plenary session, since this would require a 40% 
vote count in favor of such a measure. Furthermore, 87 votes out of a 
total of 130 would ultimately be required to remove the president of Peru.

RELATED CONTENT: Peru’s Right-Wing Leads Parliamentary Coup Against 
Pedro Castillo 
<https://orinocotribune.com/perus-right-wing-leads-parliamentary-coup-against-pedro-castillo/>
*
The context*
Castillo’s possible removal has been concocted in a fertile lawfare 
terrain with overlapping government branches and structural conflicts 
within Peru’s political institutions.

Peru’s single-house parliament is dominated by a right-wing opposition, 
while the ruling party Marxist /Peru Libre/ party is the strongest 
minority, holding 37 seats.

On Friday, November 26, opposition leader and former presidential 
candidate, Keiko Fujimori, announced that her Popular Force party, the 
second minority force in congress with 24 seats, will back the 
impeachment request.

Fujimori wrote on Twitter that “the Popular Force party believes that 
this government has shown a permanent inability to lead the country.”

The far-right Popular Renewal party will also back Castillo’s dismissal, 
and has even called for a march to take place on Saturday, November 27.

*The crisis
*Castillo’s possible dismissal has been discussed ever since the day 
after his election, when right-wing parties denounced a supposed fraud 
despite the electoral guarantees given by the electoral authorities.

Castillo assumed Peru’s presidency on July 28 and is set to end his term 
in July 2026. Castillo’s administration has been criticized for its 
supposed lack of direction and constant ministerial crises. In less than 
120 days in office, Castillo has changed a dozen ministers and faced 
ruptures within the coalition that brought him into office.

*Why this matters*
The moderate left tendencies within the coalition, those that failed to 
achieve a solid presidential candidacy by their own means, formed an 
alliance with Castillo and /Peru Libre/, and once he assumed power they 
pressed for several changes in the coalition government to gain higher 
quotas within parliament. This was done, in theory, to solidify the new 
government and guarantee political stability in Congress.

To a great extent, Castillo has yielded too much, changing ministers and 
policies in both domestic and foreign matters. Now, the future of his 
administration is in suspense as his weak parliament coalition will be 
tested against the possibility of a vacancy vote. If such a motion fails 
for the right wing, this will surely not be their only opportunity.

RELATED CONTENT: Bolivia and Peru Strengthen Historic Ties in Binational 
Cabinet Meeting 
<https://orinocotribune.com/bolivia-and-peru-strengthen-historic-ties-in-binational-cabinet-meeting/>

To justify his government’s measures, Castillo has alluded to a 
“governability” principle and a unity between his coalition forces. But, 
faced with a possible impeachment just a few months into his mandate, 
Castillo’s survival rests in the dizzying and complex political scenario 
characterized by fragmented coalitions, co-opted institutions, and deep 
instability. This can be explained by multiple factors, such as changes 
in loyalties, corruption, and fickle ideological stances in all 
political spectra. On the other hand, the Peruvian people, who have 
expressed their will at the polls, do not see themselves represented by 
a parliament seeking impeachment, nor in the maneuvers and interests of 
elite politics.

/
Featured image: Pedro Castillo, President of Peru. //Photo: Presidency 
of Peru/AFP/

(Misión Verdad 
<https://misionverdad.com/congreso-peruano-propone-formalmente-destitucion-de-pedro-castillo> 
from Samuel Robinson Institute report issued on November 26, 2021) with 
Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/GMS/SL


          Misión Verdad

Misión Verdad is a Venezuelan investigative journalism website with a 
socialist perspective in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution
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