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<h1 class="reader-title">Peruvian Congress Presents Motion to
Impeach Pedro Castillo</h1>
November 28, 2021<br>
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<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>The details<br>
</strong>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><a
href="https://orinocotribune.com/perus-right-wing-leads-parliamentary-coup-against-pedro-castillo/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED CONTENT: Peru’s
Right-Wing Leads Parliamentary Coup Against Pedro
Castillo</a><br>
<strong><br>
The context</strong><br>
Castillo’s possible removal has been concocted in a
fertile lawfare terrain with overlapping government
branches and structural conflicts within Peru’s
political institutions.</p>
<p>Peru’s single-house parliament is dominated by a
right-wing opposition, while the ruling party Marxist <em>Peru
Libre</em> party is the strongest minority, holding 37
seats.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Fujimori wrote on Twitter that “the Popular Force party
believes that this government has shown a permanent
inability to lead the country.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>The crisis<br>
</strong>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>Why this matters</strong><br>
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 <em>Peru
Libre</em>, 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><a
href="https://orinocotribune.com/bolivia-and-peru-strengthen-historic-ties-in-binational-cabinet-meeting/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED CONTENT:
Bolivia and Peru Strengthen Historic Ties in
Binational Cabinet Meeting</a></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><em><br>
Featured image: <span>Pedro Castillo, President of
Peru. </span></em><span><em>Photo: Presidency of
Peru/AFP</em></span></p>
<p>(<a
href="https://misionverdad.com/congreso-peruano-propone-formalmente-destitucion-de-pedro-castillo"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Misión Verdad</a> from
Samuel Robinson Institute report issued on November 26,
2021) with Orinoco Tribune content</p>
<p>Translation: Orinoco Tribune</p>
<p>OT/GMS/SL</p>
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<h5 itemprop="name"> <span> Misión Verdad </span> </h5>
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<p>Misión Verdad is a Venezuelan investigative
journalism website with a socialist perspective in
defense of the Bolivarian Revolution</p>
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