The Peruvian Congress refused to allow Pedro to visit Pedro Castillo

On Thursday, the Peruvian Congress denied President Pedro Castillo permission to travel to Bogota, where he planned to attend a transfer of command on August 7. President-elect of Colombia, Gustavo Pedro.

In total, 67 congressmen voted against granting permission to Castillo, 42 voted in favor and 5 abstained, thereby denying parliament the approval Peruvian presidents must obtain from the chamber for any foreign travel.

While speaking at the General Assembly, the representatives used various arguments to deny permission. Some asserted there was a risk of escape as the prosecutor’s office investigated Castillo for multiple corruption cases, while others blamed an “unprecedented presidential crisis.”

“Unprecedented Presidential Crisis”

“We are in an unprecedented presidential crisis, and at this time I think the president should send his vice president or foreign minister (to Colombia), but the president should be here, show his face, announce and explain the actions he is involved in. », of the right-wing Popular Action Party. Maria del Carmen Alva, former President of Congress, said.

For his part, Congressman Juan Carlos Martín Lizarzapuru of the Fujimori Popular Force said that Castillo “would like to escape” if he went to Colombia, for which he asked “to send the minister of foreign affairs and he should take responsibility.”

In the same sense, his bench partner Hector Ventura expressed himself, saying that “there is an obvious danger in flying”.

For her part, Katie Ugarte of the Peru Libre party – where Castillo was sworn in as president – confirmed that the Peruvian leader was “cooperating with the investigations that the prosecutor’s office opened against him” and insisted that “he was never me”. They will flee the country.”

“I appeal to my colleagues not to be dragged down by hatred or irrational theories,” he said unsuccessfully.

Pedro Castillo insists he is not part of “any criminal network.”

Precisely, Castillo went to the prosecutor’s office today, where he said that he was not part of “any criminal network”, as he later clarified to the press.

According to the complaint opened at the prosecutor’s office, Castillo is suspected of promoting two officers from the army, three from the air force and two from the national police, with the participation of former defense minister Walter Ayala. His former presidential secretary, Bruno Pacheco, was implicated in other cases against the president.

The president of Peru declares before the prosecutor’s office that he is not part of any criminal network

Pedro Castillo vowed to prove his innocence after a trial in one of the corruption cases opened against him.#DWNews /cvml pic.twitter.com/3s9jMecMqd

– DW Spanish (@dw_espanol) August 4, 2022

Pacheco, who surrendered to justice in July after months on the run, offered himself as a co-operator of the prosecutor’s office in open investigations against Castillo, including the crime of organized crime.

The state president, who served a year in the administration on July 28, is being investigated for irregularities in the decision to build the Tarada Bridge and the procurement of biodiesel.

He was also embroiled in lawsuits over alleged theft of his master’s thesis, obstruction of military promotions and the search and capture of former minister Juan Silva and his son-in-law, Fray Vasquez.