LIMA: A judge on Tuesday rejected Pedro Castillo's appeal and ordered him to remain in custody as the government gathered evidence against him for insurrection.
Supreme Court Judge Cesar San Martín Castro's decision could lead to more violent demonstrations across the country, calling for Castillo's release, the resignation of his successor, and the quick scheduling of general elections to choose a new president and replace all congressmen. are demanding. ,
"Not just an act of speech, but a concrete expression of a desire to change the constitutional order and the configuration of public powers," the judge said of Castillo's nationally televised announcement on Wednesday.
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Prosecutors want to seek up to three years in custody for Castillo by the end of this week.
During his hearing earlier on Tuesday, Castillo insisted he was "unjustly and arbitrarily detained" and thanked his supporters for their "effort and fight" as he was arrested.
According to the judge, there is evidence that Castillo was stopped as he attempted to travel to the Mexican embassy to request asylum. He was detained shortly after being voted out of office by lawmakers for trying to dissolve Congress before the impeachment vote.
Castillo declared, "I will never give up or abandon this popular cause that has brought me here." He then urged the national police and armed forces to "lay down their weapons and stop killing people thirsty for justice". , "protests over his removal in clear reference to the violent.
Demonstrations have been particularly violent outside the Peruvian capital, Lima. Peru's ombudsman's office on Tuesday reduced the death toll from the protests that began on Wednesday to six. In a statement, the office said it removed a name from the list because the National Records Agency found that person "does not exist."
All the deaths occurred in rural, underdeveloped areas, strongholds of Castillo, a political novice of peasant origins. Four of them took place in the isolated rural Andean community of Andahuellas, where voters overwhelmingly supported Castillo in the runoff election he won last year by 44,000 votes and where the poor have long struggled.
Many businesses were still closed in that neighborhood on Tuesday as burning tires, stones and tree branches blocked roads. Again, 3,000 people marched in support of Boluaarte's resignation, including teachers and farmers from nearby villages.
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A small group was involved in the funeral procession for a protester who died on Monday from a gunshot wound.
Vilma Jiga, who runs a shoe shop, said, Congress is the worst virus. "Out with Dina Boluarte," was stated as Castillo's replacement. She and other business owners made the decision to close their doors, locked out of potential holiday sales.
Castillo's defense team, represented by attorney Ronaldo Atencio, argued that he did not take up arms or gather individuals capable of overthrowing the current government, as is required by Peruvian law for someone accused of rebellion. . Castillo, according to the Mexican ambassador, has never requested asylum from Mexico, so he does not pose a flight risk, the man said.
After Castillo was removed from office by Congress on Wednesday due to "permanent moral incapacity," Castillo's vice presidential running mate Boluaarte was quickly sworn in.
She conceded to some of the protesters' demands on Monday, announcing during a nationally televised speech that she would send Congress a proposal to hold elections by April 2024. In the past, she has said that she aims to remain in the presidency for the remaining three and a half years of her predecessor's term.
Authorities have repeatedly used tear gas to beat protesters in the streets of Lima. Outside the capital, protesters torched police stations, occupied a military airstrip, and stormed the runways of Arequipa's international airport, which serves as a hub for some of Peru's top tourist destinations. Is.
Tuesday's service was halted by the owner of a passenger train carrying tourists to Peru's famous Machu Picchu site. On the Pan-American Highway, trailer trucks remained temporarily stranded.
According to Peruvian Defense Minister Luis Otarola Peranda, "the national highway system will be put in emergency situations to ensure free transit for all Peruvians." According to him, airports, hydroelectric power plants and other critical infrastructure would all be under the control of the armed forces.
According to Otarola, government intelligence efforts have determined that "no more than 8,000 (people) are creating this disturbance nationwide."
According to state media, the national police reported that 130 officers had been hurt during altercations with protesters. On Tuesday, Boluarte pleaded with the crowd to be placated by pointing out that she hadn't run for president.
"Calm down, calm down, please," she pleaded with her Andahuaylas family as she placed a call to them. "I don't know why my brothers... rise up against their compatriot Dina Boluarte when I haven't done anything to cause that situation or to happen," he said.
She was speaking in front of a hospital where a young woman was receiving treatment for an eye injury brought on by a pellet shot during the protests.
Boluarte claimed she had told the national police to refrain from using any deadly weapons, "not even rubber bullets," and that investigators are trying to identify who used them so they can be brought to justice.
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The battles Boluarte faces extend beyond Peru's borders. She has also been denied recognition as president of Peru by regional governments.
On Monday, the governments of Bolivia, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina united in support of Castillo. They requested that his human rights be upheld and judicial protection be ensured in a joint statement in which they expressed their "deep concern" over his arrest and detention and stated that they still believed he was Peru's legitimate president.
In a statement, Pedro Angulo, the prime minister of Peru, rejected the four governments' stance and blamed it on their "ignorance of reality."