Supporters of Pedro Castillo gather outside the Lima penitentiary as Peru’s top court hands down an 11-year sentence (Photo: File)
The Supreme Court's decision against former President Pedro Castillo has been the latest addition to Peru's chronic political turmoil Castillo, once hailed as a rural icon of hope, faces over eleven years behind bars on charges of attempting to dissolve Congress in 2022.
The court said his attempt to shut down the legislature crossed the line into rebellion, even though he failed to gain support from his own cabinet for that move.
Castillo's ascension was remarkable in a country long ruled by political elites. A schoolteacher and trade union organizer with no prior office, he promised to uplift Peru's poorest communities.
His victory reflected deep public frustration with a political class plagued by corruption and infighting. But his presidency quickly became consumed by disputes with a hostile Congress intent on removing him almost from the moment he took office.
The crisis came to a head in December 2022: hours before lawmakers were expected to impeach him, Castillo announced the dissolution of Congress and said he would govern by decree.
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The move collapsed almost instantly. Ministers resigned, allies distanced themselves, and the security forces refused to back him. As prosecutors describe it, the attempted self-coup lasted minutes, not days. Castillo was arrested on his way to the Mexican embassy to seek asylum.
Castillo's conviction puts him in a group of former presidents either in prison or under investigation. Martin Vizcarra, Ollanta Humala and Alejandro Toledo have been through their own legal reckonings.
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In fact, Peru has had seven presidents since 2016, as Congress repeatedly used impeachment as a political weapon. This never-ending turnover has deepened public distrust and only fed the notion that no leader can govern effectively.
The arrest of Castillo set off a series of deadly protests, with the countryside viewed as his cause. Many Peruvians believe he was pushed out by entrenched interests resistant to change; others view his actions as a careless attempt to evade accountability.
As interim president Jose Jeri took the reins, a deeply divided nation found itself in a self-reinforcing cycle that never lets an administration last long enough to restore stability to the country.
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Disclaimer: This article provides independent analysis based on publicly available information and should not be considered legal or political advice.
