Pedro Castillo | |
|---|---|
 Castillo in 2022 | |
| 63rdPresident of Peru | |
| In office 28 July 2021 – 7 December 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Guido Bellido Mirtha Vásquez Héctor Valer Aníbal Torres Betssy Chávez |
| Vice President | First Vice President Dina Boluarte Second Vice President Vacant |
| Preceded by | Francisco Sagasti |
| Succeeded by | Dina Boluarte |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Pedro Castillo Terrones (1969-10-19)19 October 1969 (age 56) Puña, Peru |
| Political party | Todo con el Pueblo [es] (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | César Vallejo University (BA,MA) |
| Signature |  |
| ||
|---|---|---|
Political Career 2021-2022 Government
Controversies Crisis Others Family  | ||
José Pedro Castillo Terrones (Latin American Spanish:[xoˈseˈpeðɾokasˈtiʝoteˈrones]ⓘ; born 19 October 1969) is a Peruvian politician, former elementary school teacher, and union leader who served as thepresident of Peru from 28 July 2021 untilhe was removed from office on 7 December 2022.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Born to a peasant family inPuña,Cajamarca, Castillo began working in Peru'sinformal economy as a teenager to earn funds for his studies in education and later returned to his hometown to become aprimary school teacher. He attained political prominence as a leading figure in a school teachers' strike in 2017 . He ran in the2021 presidential election as the candidate of the socialistFree Peru party. Castillo announced his presidential candidacy after seeing his students undergo hardships from the lack of resources in rural Peru, with the election occurring amidst the country'sCOVID-19 pandemic and a period of democratic deterioration in the nation. With the support of individuals living in rural and outlying provinces, he placed first in the initial round of the presidential vote and advanced to the second round where he won against his opponentKeiko Fujimori.[7][8] Castillo's victory in the presidential race was confirmed on 19 July 2021 and he was inaugurated on 28 July.[9][10]
After taking office, Castillo namedfar-left andleft-wing cabinets, due to the influence of Free Peru leaderVladimir Cerrón and other more left-wing politicians.[11][12][13] Asocial conservative, Castillo ultimately began to align his policies with Congress andEvangelical groups on social issues, including his opposition tosame-sex marriage,gender studies andsex education.[14][15][16][17] He left theFree Peru party in June 2022 to govern as an independent.[18] In attempts to appease the right-wing Congress, he later appointed members of center and center-right political parties as ministers of state.[19][20] Castillo was noted for appointing four different governments in six months, a Peruvian record.[21]
Castillo's presidency had a minority in congress, and faced opposition which led to threeimpeachment proceedings, although the first two failed to reach the necessary votes to remove him from office.[19][22][23] Following the second failed impeachment vote in March 2022,protests took place across the country against high fuel and fertilizer prices caused bythe Russian invasion of Ukraine andsanctions against Russia.Mining protests also intensified as the country's economy plummeted.[24][25] On 1 December 2022, Peru's Congress approved a motion initiated by opposition lawmakers to start the third formal attempt to impeach Castillo.[26]
On 7 December 2022, Castillo, facing imminent impeachment proceedings,attempted a self-coup, attempting to form aprovisional government, institute a national curfew, and call for the formation of anassembly to draft a new constitution. Castillo was impeached by Congress within the day and was detained for sedition and high treason.[27][28] He was succeeded byFirst Vice PresidentDina Boluarte. After his removal,pro-Castillo protests broke out calling for new elections and Castillo's release, leading Boluarte to align herself with the opposition to Castillo.[29][30] Castillo remains in prison. His trial began in March 2025.
Castillo was born to animpoverished andilliterate peasant family inPuña,Tacabamba,Chota Province,Department of Cajamarca.[31][32][33] Despite being the location of South America's largestgold mine, Cajamarca has remained one of the poorest regions in Peru.[32][33] He is the third of nine children.[32]
His father, Ireño Castillo, was born on thehacienda of a landowning family where he performed labor-intensive work.[31][34] His family rented land from the landowners until GeneralJuan Velasco Alvarado took power and redistributed property fromlandowners topeasants, with Ireño receiving a plot of land he had been working on.[31][34] As a child, Castillo balanced his schooling with farm work at home, completing his elementary and high school education at the Octavio Matta Contreras de Cutervo Higher Pedagogical Institute.[34][35] Castillo's daily trek to and from school involved walking along steep cliffside paths for two hours.[34][36]
"It was a great accomplishment for me to finish high school, which I did thanks to the help of my parents and my brothers and sisters. I continued my education, doing what I could to earn a living. I worked in the coffee fields. I came to Lima to sell newspapers. I sold ice cream. I cleaned toilets in hotels. I saw the harsh reality for workers in the countryside and the city."
As a teenager and young adult, Castillo traveled throughout Peru to earn funds for his studies.[34][38] Beginning at the age of twelve, each year he and his father walked 140 kilometres (87 mi) for seasonal work in the coffee plantations of thePeruvian Amazonia.[31][36] Castillo also claims to have sold ice cream and newspapers and cleaned hotels inLima.[37] He studied Primary Education at the Octavio Carrera Education Institute of Superior Studies and gained amaster's degree inEducational Psychology from theCésar Vallejo University.[35]
During theinternal conflict in Peru that began in the 1980s, Castillo worked in his youth as apatrolman ofRondas campesinas to defend against theShining Path.[39][40][41]
From 1995, Castillo worked as aprimary school teacher and principal at School 10465 in the town of Puña, Chota.[33][35] In addition to teaching, he was responsible for cooking for his students and cleaning their classroom.[32] According to Castillo, the community constructed the school after receiving no government assistance.[37][better source needed] Rural teaching in Peru is poorly paid but highly respected and influential within local communities, which led Castillo to become involved with teachers' unions.[36][42] With his working background as a patrolman forRondas campesinas and being a schoolteacher, two of the most respected jobs in Peruvian society, Castillo was able to establish a high level of political support.[42]
In 2002, Castillo unsuccessfully ran for the mayorship ofAnguía as the representative ofAlejandro Toledo'scentre-left partyPossible Peru.[34][43] He served as a leading member of the party inCajamarca from 2005 until the party's dissolution in 2017 following its poor results in the2016 Peruvian general election.[34][44] Following his leadership during the teachers' strike, numerous political parties in Peru approached Castillo to promote him as a congressional candidate, though he refused and instead decided to run for the presidency after encouragement from unions.[31]
In an interview with theAssociated Press, Castillo said that his motivation for entering politics was seeing his students arrive to school hungry without any benefits while, at the same time, Peru experienced economic growth from mineral wealth.[31] Castillo became a teachers' union leader during the2017 Peru teachers' strike [es], which sought to increase salaries, pay off local government debt, repeal the Law of the Public Teacher Career and increase the education budget.[45] At the time, the Peruvian government sought to replace a system of career teachers with temporary unskilled educators.[10] The strikes spread through southern Peru; due to their longevity, Minister of EducationMarilú Martens, Prime MinisterFernando Zavala, and other government officials jointly announced a package of salary increases and debt relief, though the teachers remained on strike.[46][47]
PresidentPedro Pablo Kuczynski offered to mediate, inviting the teachers' delegates to meet at theGovernment Palace to reach a solution; only the leaders of the union's executive committee and its Cuzco leaders were received while representatives of the regions led by Castillo were excluded.[48][49] The strike consequently worsened as teachers from across Peru travelled to Lima to hold marches and rallies in the capital.[50]Keiko Fujimori and herFujimorist supporters, who were opponents of theKuczynski administration, assisted Castillo with the strike in an effort to destabilize the president's government.[36]
On 24 August 2017, the government issued a supreme decree making official the benefits agreed in negotiations,[51] issuing a warning that if teachers did not return to their classrooms by 28 August, they would be fired and replaced.[52] On 2 September 2017, Castillo announced a suspension of the strike; he said it was only a temporary suspension.[53][54]
The 2021 presidential elections occurred amidst theCOVID-19 pandemic in Peru and apolitical crisis in the nation that continued during the election.[55] These crises created multiple political currents that eventually consolidated into a growingpolitical polarization among Peruvians.[55]
Initial discussions between former Governor ofJunín,Vladimir Cerrón ofFree Peru, andVerónika Mendoza ofTogether for Peru, recommended a leftist coalition to support a single presidential candidate in the 2021 general election. Mendoza's advisors argued that Cerrón's beliefs were too radical and of an antiquated left wing ideology.[56] Mendoza's camp also raised concerns about Cerrón's alleged homophobic and xenophobic rhetoric.[56] In October 2020, Castillo announced his presidential bid, running as the candidate of Free Peru, and formally attained the nomination on 6 December 2020. His ticket included attorneyDina Boluarte andVladimir Cerrón; Cerrón was later disqualified by theNational Jury of Elections due to a corruption conviction.[39]
Pedro Castillo was chosen by a national assembly of teachers' representatives to be their candidate for the presidential election of 2021. TheCOVID-19 pandemic and the lack of financial resources led them to give up building a political party. Approached by several small parties, he choseFree Peru (Perú Libre, PL), of which he was not a member at the time.[57]
During the first part of the campaign, unknown to most Peruvians, Pedro Castillo was very low in the polls and received very little media coverage. His campaign accelerated from March, when he crossed the threshold of 5% of voting intentions.[57]
Castillo cited the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic on his students as a motivation for his presidential run.[32] In response to the pandemic, PresidentMartín Vizcarra initiatedCOVID-19 lockdowns in Peru, inhibiting trade and travel to rural Peru.[42] As a result of the lockdowns, individuals in rural regions felt an increased sense of abandonment from the national government, with political groups in these regions beginning to act autonomously and experiencing growth in their legitimacy.[42] Castillo told the Associated Press that he had attempted to continue teaching his students through the lockdowns, but the impoverished local community did not have the resources required forremote learning; almost none of his students had access to a cell phone, and educationaltablets promised by the government never arrived.[32] Using this experience of abandonment and distrust of the national government established in urban Lima, Castillo had a genuine ability to relate to rural voters and used his knowledge of their issues to establish support.[42]
He campaigned for a constitutional reform (he believes that the currentConstitution of Peru, promulgated in 1993 under PresidentAlberto Fujimori, is responsible for the economic inequalities of the country because it consecrates a free market model), a restructuring of the pension system and the nationalization of the gas industry. His program was based on three main themes: health, education and agriculture, which he intended to strengthen to stimulate the country's development. He enjoyed a certain image of probity, as he was one of eight candidates (out of 18) who had not been cited in any case in a country where political corruption is high.[promotion?][citation needed] Castillo said he would pardonAntauro Humala, a member of theEthnocacerist movement and brother of former PresidentOllanta Humala who was sentenced to nineteen years in prison after leading the capture of a police station inAndahuaylas that had resulted in the deaths of four policemen and one gunman.[58][59] At the conclusion of his initial campaign ahead of the first round of voting, Castillo held a rally in theHistoric Centre of Lima, beginning at thePlaza San Martín before leading a march on horseback to thePlaza Dos de Mayo, where hundreds of supporters gathered.[40] At the event, he told attendees that if elected, the citizens would supervise his policies, he would only receive the salary of a teacher, and sought to reduce the pay of congress and ministers by half.[40]
Trailing throughout the entire campaign, his polling surged during the last weeks of the campaign and on election day, Castillo secured 18% of the vote in the first round, putting him in first place among 18 candidates. His success was attributed to his focus on the large difference ofliving standards between Lima and rural Peru, leading to strong support in rural provinces.[60] He faced the second-place candidate,Keiko Fujimori, who had also finished second place in the2011 and2016 general elections, in the second round of voting.[61]
After his victory in the first round, Castillo called for Peruvian political forces, includingtrade unions andRonda Campesinas, to establish a political agreement, though he declined to make a roadmap similar that ofOllanta Humala during the 2016 general election.[62][63] He established a political alliance with the left-wing former presidential candidateVerónika Mendoza in May 2021, earning her support for his campaign.[64][65]
Approaching the second round of presidential elections, it became apparent that Castillo's policy proposals would be unlikely to be enacted as president and that he would be vulnerable to Congress; the newly electedCongress of Peru was dominated by opposition parties, with his party holding only 37 of the 130 seats in congress.[32][66]
While campaigning, Castillo was insulted on multiple occasions by individuals likening him toNicolás Maduro, president of Venezuela,[67][68][69] while Free Peru reported that he also received anonymousdeath threats.[70] Third-place candidateRafael López Aliaga issued death threats during a demonstration against Castillo, shouting: "Death to communism! Death to Cerrón! Death to Castillo!"[71] Castillo was also criticized for his debate performance, with critics raising questions on whether he understood governmental functions.[72]
Castillo ultimately won the election, handing Fujimori her third consecutive defeat in a presidential election.[9][73]
Many observers described the second round of the presidential election as being a choice between thelesser of two evils.[74] The transfer of the presidency to Castillo was described by theInstitute of Peruvian Studies [es] as "strengthening the current Peruvian democratic regime," as the process was peaceful and contributed to a "more prolonged democratic stability" in Peru in the early 21st century.[75]The New York Times reported his victory as the "clearest repudiation of the country's establishment,"[76] and theFinancial Times described him as "a hope for the poor," amid concerns among the establishment and the elite, which resulted incapital flight, in a country that was hit the most by theCOVID-19 pandemic in relation toexcess mortality, with an economy in recession, collapsed healthcare, a series of corruption scandals, and one third of Peruvians living in poverty.[74]
Following Castillo's surprising success in the first round of elections, theS&P/BVL Peru General Index fell by 3.2% and thePeruvian sol saw its value drop 1.7%, its biggest loss since December 2017 during thefirst impeachment process against Pedro Pablo Kuczynski;[77][78] in the week before the run-off vote, the sol continued to post historical lows against the U.S. dollar.[74] An economist told theFinancial Times that they had not seen such a serious capital flight in two decades.[74] Optimistic observers felt that Castillo would moderate his views, citing former presidentOllanta Humala as an example.Pedro Francke, a university professor of economics, rejected comparisons of his style of leadership to those seen in Cuba or Venezuela, and instead suggested that his governing style would be more similar to that of leftist leaders likeLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva,Evo Morales,[74] andJosé Mujica. Daniel Rico ofRBC Capital Markets credited Francke with calming markets fears of Castillo, who was characterized by opponents as afar-left politician.[79]
Most regional leaders and some in Europe, such asPedro Sánchez of Spain, extended congratulations and wished Castillo the best on being the president of the bicentennial of Peru.[80] Lula da Silva, leftist formerpresident of Brazil, congratulated him and said that Castillo had struck a blow toconservatism in the region, saying that "the result of the Peruvian polls is symbolic and represents another advance in the popular struggle in our dear Latin America."[81] Like Lula, Morales, the formerpresident of Bolivia, congratulated Castillo, stating that Castillo "won with our proposal" and that he had spoken to him on the phone previously.[82] Mujica, the formerUruguayan president, also shared approval of Castillo's success in the first round of elections, warning Castillo to "not fall into authoritarianism," while participating in a Facebook live video call with him.[83][84] Colombian presidentIván Duque and Ecuadorian presidentGuillermo Lasso congratulated Castillo on his victory.[85]
Castillo was officially designated as president-elect of Peru on 19 July 2021, only a week before he was to be inaugurated.[76] Days before his designation, Castillo and his economic advisor Pedro Francke met with Ambassador Liang Yu at the Chinese embassy in Peru to discuss a more rapid introduction ofSinopharm COVID-19 vaccines in Peru.[86] The majority of ministers chosen by Castillo were from interior regions in contrast to previous governments where most ministers originated from Lima.[87] Ministers were mainly from allied leftist and independent organizations, while three ministers were fromFree Peru and another three were previous teachers close to Castillo.[87]
Castillo and his government's political experience and direction had been described as being unclear by observers,[88][89] as he lacked notable political experience prior to his election.[90][91] In little more than the first six months of his government, four different cabinets were selected after being dissolved following numerous corruption controversies affecting Castillo and his close advisors.[21][89] According to political analyst Gianfranco Vigo, the Castillo administration "is governed not so much by knowledge but rather by closeness."[21] Castillo responded to criticism of his experience in an interview withCNN, saying that governing was "a learning process" and he was not "trained to be president," explaining that he did not study abroad by choosing to stay "for the country, for the people."[92] He also stated during the interview that Free Peru leaderVladimir Cerrón had "no influence on cabinet appointments."[92] Referring to Castillo's government, political scientist Paula Távara of theNational University of San Marcos said it has not shown "any clear direction" and "has not yet tackled any of the promised political projects... Instead it is sinking into chaos, with new ministers constantly being appointed with no qualifications other than their party membership. Posts are distributed on a whim to forge political alliances."[93]
In April 2022, Free Peru drafted a bill calling for general elections in 2023 to elect a new president and Congress.[94] By late 2022, Castillo aligned with right-wing groups in Congress, meeting with the conservative groupCon mis hijos no te metas and various evangelical groups to push for laws preventing the teaching ofgender studies and detailedsexual education in schools.[15]
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According to Farid Kahhat of thePontifical Catholic University of Peru, Castillo's economic policy was created in collaboration withVerónika Mendoza, utilizingNew Peru economists who had an established history of holding public office.[65] His firstMinister of Economy and Finance wasPedro Francke, a formerWorld Bank andCentral Reserve Bank of Peru economist who assisted Castillo with moderating his policies.[95][96] Kahhat explained that Castillo proposed taxing windfall profits, describing these profits as "the product of good international prices and not the merit of the company itself."[65] Upon taking office, Castillo also appointedfeminist and pro-LGBT activist Anahí Durand as head of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, with Prime MinisterGuido Bellido releasing a statement promising to "beat racism, classism, machismo, and homophobia."[97]
In September 2021, Castillo announced funding of 99 million soles (US$24 million) to provide food for impoverished families, stating, "We cannot understand that, despite having so much wealth in the country, it is not balanced with development."[98] As announced during his campaign, he launched an agrarian reform in October 2021, which he promised would not involve expropriations.[99] It included an industrialization plan for peasants to promote the development of agriculture, and intended to offer poor peasants fairer access to markets.[99] Following the death ofAbimael Guzmán, the founder ofShining Path, Castillo said his government's "condemnation of terrorism is firm" and he condemned Guzmán, saying he was "responsible for the loss of innumerable lives of our compatriots."[100]
In November 2021, Castillo announced an increase in the minimum wage from 930 to 1,000 soles ($223 to $250), the sale of the presidential jet acquired in 1995, and a ban onfirst-class travel for all civil servants.[101] That month, the Central Reserve Bank of Peru reported that from July through September 2021, Peru's GDP grew by 11.4% and beat previous expectations, withBloomberg News saying Peru experienced the fastest growing economy among Latin American nations at the time.[102] TheInternational Monetary Fund supported tax increases on the mining sector, reporting in December 2021 that Peru could safely increase taxes since the country had "a tax burden that is lower or similar to other resource-rich countries."[103]
After Castillo's acquittal of the second impeachment attempt against him in February 2022, global economic reverberations resulted frominternational sanctions during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[104][105] and inflation in Peru rose sharply,[106] prompting protests.[107][108] By April 2022, the inflation rate in Peru rose to its highest level in 26 years, creating greater difficulties for the recently impoverished population.[106] Inflation of basic goods, alongside increasing fertilizer and fuel prices as a result of the war, angered rural Peruvians and shifted them from their position of supporting Castillo to protesting his government.[108][104] According toConvoca, UGTRANM leader Diez Villegas, the same individual who attempted to organize strikes in October 2021, called for ageneral strike of transportation workers for 4 April 2022.[109] These strikes later expanded, culminating with the2022 Peruvian protests.[109]
Héctor Béjar, the newly appointedMinister of Foreign Affairs, said that Peru would no longer supportinternational sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis and did not clarify his position on recognizingJuan Guaidó as part of theVenezuelan presidential crisis.[110] Béjar resigned on 17 August 2021, amid criticism from the opposition and some media over his statement that Peru's navy had been responsible for terrorist acts and that theCIA had created theShining Path.[111] During his first Foreign Relations Commission with Congress, Castillo's second foreign ministerÓscar Maúrtua said that Peru would remain a member of theAndean Community, thePacific Alliance, andPROSUR, saying that Castillo's government held the "objective of achieving South American integration, for the benefit of our peoples," while also offering refuge toAfghan refugees following theFall of Kabul.[112]
For his first international trips, Castillo traveled to Mexico on 17 September 2021 and later to the United States on 19 September.[113] During his tour in the United States, Castillo and economic minister Pedro Francke met with foreign investors, along with representatives from theUnited States Chamber of Commerce,Pfizer, andMicrosoft.[114][115] Some of Peru's largest investors, such asFreeport-McMoRan andBHP, shared positive reactions of the Castillo government following their meetings.[114] Castillo later spoke at the76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September, proposing the creation of aninternational treaty signed by world leaders andpharmaceutical companies to guarantee universal vaccine access internationally, stating, "On behalf of Peru, I want to propose the signing of a global agreement between heads of state and patent owners to guarantee universal access to vaccines for all inhabitants, without discrimination or privileges, which would be a sign of our commitment to the health and lives of all peoples."[116][117] Castillo argued, "The battle against the pandemic has shown us the failure of the international community to cooperate under the principle of solidarity."[116]
During a January 2022 interview withCNN en Español, Castillo said that he would consult for a plebiscite in order to grant Bolivia access to the sea. Castillo's remarks received both positive and negative reactions in Peru.[118] In June 2022, Castillo convened the leaders of different South American nations to treat theVenezuelan migrant crisis, with Peru being home to 1.3 million Venezuelans that fled following thecrisis in Venezuela.[119]
According to Peruvian law, the president must have the authorization of Congress every time he wants to travel abroad, with the legislative body banning Castillo from participating in foreign affairs on multiple occasions. Congress banned Castillo from traveling toColombia for the inauguration of the new president,Gustavo Petro, denied permission to travel to theVatican to meet with the Pope, toThailand for theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, and toMexico for a meeting of thePacific Alliance in November 2022; the latter was cancelled and rescheduled for 14 December 2022 in Lima, though it never took place.[120][121]
In October 2021, the websiteEl Foco released recordings revealing that leaders of the manufacturing employers' organizationNational Society of Industries, the leader of the Union of Multimodal Transport Guilds of Peru (UGTRANM), Geovani Rafael Diez Villegas, political leaders, and other business executives planned various actions, including funding transportation strikes in November 2021, in order to destabilize the Castillo government and prompt his removal.[122] Far-right groups of former soldiers also allied with political parties likeGo on Country – Social Integration Party,Popular Force, andPopular Renewal in an effort to remove Castillo, with some veteran leaders seen directly withRafael López Aliaga and Castillo's former presidential challenger Keiko Fujimori, who signed theMadrid Charter promoted by the Spanish far-right political partyVox.[123][124] These groups directed threats towards Castillo government officials and journalists, while also calling for acoup d'état andinsurgency.[124]OjoPúblico compared the veteran groups, such as thefar-rightneofascistLa Resistencia Dios, Patria y Familia militant organization that was supported by Popular Force and Popular Renewal, to theOath Keepers andProud Boys of the United States, noting a possible threat of an event similar to the2021 United States Capitol attack occurring in Peru.[124][125] Hundreds of members of La Resistencia andFujimorists had already attempted to storm theGovernment Palace in July 2021 in rejection of election results, though such groups were repelled by authorities.[126][127][128][129]
Tensions withCongress, dominated by conservative parties, were particularly high. The legislative body attempted to remove Castillo multiple times, accusing him of corruption, though charges only went as far as preliminary investigations.[19] Congress approved a law interpreting the constitution that restricted the executive's ability to dissolve Parliament, while Parliament retained the right to impeach the President. In December 2021, Congress passed a law stating that a referendum to convene a Constituent Assembly, one of Pedro Castillo's key promises during the presidential election, could not be held without a constitutional reform previously approved by Parliament. During a visit to the Spanish Parliament, the president of the Peruvian Congress, María del Carmen Alva, asked the deputies of thePopular Party to approve a declaration stating that "Peru has been captured by communism and that Pedro Castillo is a president without any legitimacy."[130]
Presented in visitor documents as a lobbyist for the construction company Termirex,Karelim López met with Castillo's chief of staff Bruno Pacheco multiple times.[131] In November 2021, four months into his term, Keiko Fujimori announced that her party was pushing forwardimpeachment proceedings, arguing that Castillo was "morally unfit for office."[132] That day, investigators raided the Government Palace during aninfluence peddling investigation and found that there was US$20,000 in Pacheco's office's bathroom.[133][134] Pacheco said that the money was part of his savings and salary, though he resigned from his position in order to prevent the scandal from affecting Castillo.[133] On 25 November, 28 legislators from Fujimori's party presented a signed motion of impeachment to congress, setting up a vote for opening impeachment proceedings against Castillo.[134] A short time later, controversy arose when newspapers reported that Castillo had met with individuals at his former campaign headquarters inBreña without public record, a potential violation of a recently created, complicated set of transparency regulations.[135] Lobbyist Karelim López also became entangled with the controversy in Breña after the company Terminex, whom she lobbied for, won the Tarata III Bridge Consortium contract worth 255.9 million soles.[131][136][137] Audios purportedly obtained at the residence and released byAmérica Televisión were criticized and dismissed as a scam.[138] Castillo responded to the impeachment threat stating: "I am not worried about the political noise because the people have chosen me, not the mafias or the corrupt."[134] The impeachment proceeding did not occur, as 76 voted against proceedings, 46 were in favor, and 4 abstained, with a requirement of 52 favoring proceedings not being obtained.[139] Free Peru ultimately supported Castillo through the process and described the vote as an attempted right-wing coup.[140] Castillo responded to the vote stating, "Brothers and sisters, let's end political crises and work together to achieve a just and supportive Peru."[139]
In February 2022, it was reported that Fujimorists and politicians close to Fujimori organized a meeting at the Casa Andina hotel in Lima with the assistance of theGerman liberal groupFriedrich Naumann Foundation, with those present includingMaricarmen Alva,President of the Congress of the Republic of Peru, to discuss plans to remove President Castillo from office.[141] Alva had already shared her readiness to assume the presidency of Peru if Castillo were to be removed from the position and a leakedTelegram group chat of the Board of Directors of Congress that she headed revealed coordinated plans to oust Castillo.[142][143] A second impeachment attempt related to corruption allegations did make it to proceedings in March 2022.[23] On 28 March 2022, Castillo appeared before Congress calling the allegations baseless and for legislators to "vote for democracy" and "against instability," with 55 voting for impeachment, 54 voting against, and 19 abstaining, not reaching the 87 votes necessary for impeaching Castillo.[23][144]
In July 2022, a fifth inquiry was launched into Castillo's alleged involvement in corruption.[145]
On 7 December 2022, hours before theCongress of Peru was scheduled to vote on a third impeachment motion against him, Castillo tried to institute an illegal self coup; citing obstruction by Congress, he declared a national curfew, the dissolution of Congress, and the installation of a "government of exceptional emergency."[28] Shortly after his announcement, a majority of Castillo's cabinet resigned, and the attempted dissolution was denounced as a coup by theOmbudsman of Peru.[146] TheConstitutional Court and First Vice PresidentDina Boluarte also called it acoup d'état attempt,[147][27] one meant to obstruct the impeachment process.[148] Castillo was then impeached and removed from the presidency by the Congress of Peru later on 7 December, as scheduled. The impeachment passed with a majority 101 for and 6 against out of 130 votes. Boluarte, who had broken with Castillo after the announcement, ascended to the presidency.[149]
Castillo reportedly attempted to flee the country but was detained by theNational Police.[150][151] He is being held in preventive custody while being investigated for "rebellion and conspiracy," and has shared the same prison asAlejandro Toledo andAlberto Fujimori (the latter was released in December 2023 and died nine months later).[152][153][154] His trial for rebellion charges over the self-coup began on 4 March 2025.[155] On 10 March, Castillo announced that he was going on a hunger strike,[156] resulting in his hospitalization and the end of his hunger strike on 13 March.[157][158]
Castillo's impeachment was recognized internationally,[159][160] with countries like Spain and China, and organizations such as the European Union recognizing Boluarte and championing a return to "constitutional order."[161][162] TheAmerican continent was more mixed. Members of theSão Paulo Forum likeLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil andGabriel Boric of Chile recognized Boluarte as the new president. The United States, Costa Rica and Canada recognized Boluarte as president.[163]
However, some left-wing Latin American governments, includingBolivia,Colombia,Honduras,Mexico, andVenezuela continued to recognize Pedro Castillo as the democratically elected President of Peru following the events in December 2022 and refused to recognize Boluarte.[164][165][166]Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela,Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico,Gustavo Petro of Colombia,Alberto Fernández of Argentina, andLuis Arce of Bolivia denounced Boluarte's government as a coup, comparing the situation as similar to the ascension of Bolivia'sJeanine Áñez during the2019 Bolivian political crisis. These presidents continued to support Pedro Castillo's claims to be the rightful president under a "government of exception."[167][168]
"We have fought against terrorism and we will continue to do so. ... We are going to defend the constitutional rights of the country, there is noChavismo, there is no communism ... ."
Castillo has been described as havingfar-left,[170][171]socialist,[172]populist[173] economic policies while beingsocially conservative.[174][14][17] He said that he is not acommunist or aChavista, although his party is.[175] Peru's attitude towardsLGBT rights has generally been hostile and is heavily influenced by theCatholic Church, and Castillo is said to be more in line with his right-wing opponents on social issues, opposingabortion,LGBT rights,[176]same-sex marriage,[16]euthanasia,sex education,[33][15] and the gender-equality approach in schools;[177][178][179] this put him at odds with the progressive left that has supported him. Castillo's participation in the second round of the2021 Peruvian presidential election placed him as one of two socially conservative candidates,[34] in a highly polarized election.[180][181][182]
The Economist wrote that Castillo "combines radical rhetoric withpragmatism," and cited his work with both left-wing and right-wing groups, including Keiko Fujimori'sPopular Force, during the 2017 teachers' strike.[66]Le Monde diplomatique wrote that Castillo maintained support prior to being elected because his positions were "rather vague."[10] Castillo later distanced himself from the far-left of theFree Peru party, stating that "the one who is going to govern is me," and that there would be "no communism" in Peru under his government.[41][169][183] Kahhat said that Castillo limited his relationship with Free Peru and separated himself from the party's leader, adding that "it is important to remember that Castillo is a candidate but not a party member... [We] might even say he is more conservative than the ideals of [Free Peru] would suggest."[65] Anthony Medina Rivas Plata, a political scientist at theCatholic University of Santa María, said that "Castillo's rise is not because he is left-wing, but because he comes from below. He has never said he is a Marxist, socialist, or communist. What he is is an evangelical."[184]
After winning the first round of presidential elections, Castillo presented his ideas in a more moderated manner, maintaining a balance between the leftist ideals of Free Peru and the conservative consensus of Peruvians.[185][186] Following his ascent to the presidency, Free Peru broke from Castillo, who distanced himself fromVladimir Cerrón,[34] believing that he moderated his positions to appease businesses and opposing politicians.[132] On 30 June 2022, Castillo resigned from Free Peru.[187]
Castillo expressed his interest in moving Peru more towards amixed economy.[186] He promised foreign businesses that he would notnationalize companies in Peru, saying that those seeking the nationalization of industry within his party were part of the "leftist fringe."[183] Some of his main economic proposals were to regulate "monopolies andoligopolies" in order to establish a mixed economy and to renegotiatetax breaks with large businesses.[186] Castillo made statements supporting increased regulation, directly criticizing Chilean companiesSaga Falabella andLATAM Airlines Group.[188] Citing the fact that LATAM owes Peru nearly $1 billion, Castillo called for a state-ownednational airline.[188] In an interview withCNN, he stated that if elected, he would hold discussions with businesses to ensure that "70% of profits must remain for the country" and that "they take 30%, not the other way around as it is today."[39]
Castillo proposed increasing the education and health budgets to at least 10 percent of Peru's GDP.[33][178] He received criticism fromEFE for not clarifying how these policies would be funded,[189] as Peru's existing government budget is already 14 percent of the country's GDP.[178] Castillo believed thatinternet access should be a right for all Peruvians.[186] He proposed a science and technology ministry that would immediately be tasked with combating theCOVID-19 pandemic in Peru.[186]
Regardingmining in Peru, Castillo supported the extraction of minerals throughout Peru "where nature and the population allow it," and welcomed international investment in these projects.[39] For agrarian reform, Castillo proposed making Peru less reliant on importing agricultural goods and incentivizing food production for local use instead of solely for export.[64]
A main proposal of Castillo was to elect aconstituent assembly to replace the constitution inherited fromAlberto Fujimori's regime, with Castillo saying "it serves to defend corruption on a macro scale."[33][190][191] Castillo said that, in his efforts to rewrite the Peruvian constitution, he would respect therule of law by utilizing existing constitutional processes and call for a constitutionalreferendum to determine whether a constituent assembly should be formed or not.
At an event called Citizen Proclamation – Oath for Democracy, Castillo signed an agreement vowing to respect democracy, stating, "I swear with all my heart, I do swear with all my heart, that I will respect true democracy and equal rights and opportunities of the Peruvian people, without any discrimination and favoritism."[192] Castillo also promised at the event to respect the presidentialterm limit of a five-year tenure, saying that if elected, he would not adjust mechanisms to extend the presidential period and would leave office on 28 July 2026.[192] Other statements by Castillo included respecting theseparation of powers and recognizing the autonomy of constitutional entities.[192]
Castillo's proposed social policies included creatingparamilitary groups and militarizing Peruvian youth to promote a revolutionary experience, calling for citizens to arm themselves in order to provide justice through "socialist administration."[177] He called for Peru to leave theAmerican Convention on Human Rights and to reinstate thedeath penalty in the country.[193] Castillo also called for stricter regulations on themedia in Peru.[33]
According to Castillo, issues ofabortion andLGBT rights were "not a priority."[32] His socialist woman proposal (La mujer socialista) was described by Javier Puente, assistant professor of Latin American Studies atSmith College as "a deeply patriarchal, gender-normative view of society disguised under seemingly liberating language" while the rest of his program did not include any policies regarding LGBT groups, who are vulnerable populations in Peru.
Castillo announced during his inauguration thatyouths who do not work or study would have to serve in the military; as there is no mandatory service in Peru, it was unclear whether Castillo would introduce conscription.[194][195]
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Castillo defended the government ofNicolás Maduro inVenezuela, describing it as "a democratic government",[179][193][196] while his Free Peru party shared praise for the policies ofFidel Castro andHugo Chávez.[77] After winning the first round of presidential elections, Castillo stated regarding Venezuela that "there is noChavismo here", saying of President Maduro, "if there is something he has to say concerning Peru, that he first fix his internal problems."[83][183] He also called on Maduro to take Venezuelan refugees back to their native country, saying that Venezuelans arrived in Peru "to commit crimes."[83] Castillo described theVenezuelan refugee crisis as an issue of "human trafficking," and said that he would give Venezuelans who commit crimes 72 hours to leave Peru.[83][177][193]
Venezuela's opposition leaderJuan Guaidó, who was recognized as legitimate president of Venezuela by Peru amidst theVenezuelan presidential crisis beginning in 2019, wished that Castillo would "decide for the good of freedom" after President Maduro's foreign ministerJorge Arreaza attended Castillo's inauguration.[197][198] Guaidó warned that theLima Group could be renamed "Quito Group" if Peru recognizes Maduro.[197] Castillo called for plans to "deactivate" the group.[199][200]
In November 2021, Castillo announced the rejection of the2021 Nicaraguan general election results, saying they were not "free, fair, and transparent elections." In addition, he supported the pressure measures against the government ofDaniel Ortega by theOrganization of American States.[201]
At a bilateral meeting with president of BrazilJair Bolsonaro on 3 February 2022, Castillo was seen embracing him. Bolsonaro, who wore Castillo's strawchotano hat, said Castillo was a defender of freedom and "conservative values."[13][202] Bolsonaro and Castillo also discussed a proposed highway through theAmazon rainforest, the removal of bureaucratic trade regulations, and increased drug trade monitoring.[11]
Like Mexico'sAndrés Manuel López Obrador and other Latin American left-wing politicians, Castillo was critical of the colonisation of Latin America by Spain. During his investiture, whichKing Felipe VI of Spain attended, he spoke strongly against Spanish colonial rule.[203]
"When you go out to ask for rights, they say that you are a terrorist, ... I know the country and they will not be able to shut me up, ... The terrorists are hunger and misery, abandonment, inequality, injustice."
During theterrorism in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s, the government, military, and media in Peru described individuals on the left of thepolitical spectrum as being a threat to the nation, with many students, professors, union members, and peasants being jailed or killed for their political beliefs.[204] Such sentiments continued for decades into the 2021 election, with Peru's right-wing elite and media organizations collaborating with Keiko Fujimori's campaign byappealing to fear when discussing Castillo,[41][65][204] linking him to armedcommunist groups through afearmongering political attack known as aterruqueo.[205][206][207] Theterreuqueo was also used besideclassist andracist rhetoric against Castillo.[205]
In 2017, Castillo's participation in the teacher's strike was criticized byMinister of the Interior,Carlos Basombrío Iglesias, who said Castillo was involved withMOVADEF, a group consisting of former members ofShining Path. Castillo said he was not involved with MOVADEF or the militant teachers' union faction CONARE and that those factions should not be involved in teaching.[208][209] In June 2018, Hamer Villena Zúñiga, the leader of the United Union of Workers in Education of Peru (SUTEP), stated that Castillo's sister, María Doraliza Castillo Terrones, was a member of MOVADEF.[210] In 2018 and 2020, the newspaperPeru.21 accused Castillo of being linked to Shining Path, and published documents citing his alleged participation in virtual meetings with the organization's leadership during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Peru.[211][212][213]
Claims linking Castillo to MOVADEF and Shining Path were refuted by Castillo himself and major media outlets. With Castillo being a member of the Ronda Campesina, which often partnered with the Peruvian Armed Forces to defend rural communities against guerrilla groups, allegations by Peruvian journalists of his links to Shining Path were contradictory.[214]The Guardian described links to Shining Path as "incorrect," and theAssociated Press said that allegations by Peruvian media of links to Shining Path were "unsupported."[32][215]The Economist wrote that at the same time Castillo allegedly worked with groups linked to Shining Path, he was also partnering with right-wing legislators fromPopular Force, Fujimori's party, in the same capacity.[clarification needed][66]
According to Public Records, Castillo founded a company called Consorcio Chotano de Inversionistas Emprendedores JOP S.A.C., which he did not indicate in his resume presented to the National Jury of Elections. Former congresswoman Yeni Vilcatoma of thePopular Force, aFujimorist party, filed a complaint for the public prosecution which opened a preliminary investigation,[216] Within the context of the second-round campaign, Keiko Fujimori distanced herself from Vilcatoma and denounced her, saying, "I like to win political competitions on the field."[217] Castillo said that he did not list the company because he did not remember its existence since it never operated; it is indicated that he invested 18,000 soles.[218][219] This was made public after the complaint made by journalist and columnist Alfredo Vignolo,[220] who later claimed that he received death threats through social networks by supporters of Castillo.[221]
Castillo is married toLilia Paredes, a teacher, and they have two children together.[32][34] Castillo isCatholic and has participated regularly in the local festival dedicated to theVirgin of Sorrows ("Virgen de los Dolores") held inAnguía.[222] His wife and children areevangelicals.[32][223] He is ateetotaler, practicing abstinence from consuming alcohol.[224] His family lives in a nine-room home in theChugur District, tending a farm with cows, pigs, corn, and sweet potatoes.[32][34]
Castillo was known for wearing astraw hat called achotano, aponcho, and sandals constructed from oldtires.[32][225] Richard Rojas, his former campaign chief, toldLatina Televisión that the hat was originally his brother's and that Castillo started wearing it as means to stand out during rallies.[226] He had stopped wearing the hat by February 2022.[227][228]
| Year | Office | Type | Party | Main opponent | Party | Votes for Castillo | Result | Swing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ±% | |||||||||||
| 2002 | Mayor of Anguía | Municipal | Possible Peru | José Alberto Yrigoin | National Unity | 104 | 8.82% | 4th | N/A | Lost | N/A[229] | |||
| 2021 | President of Peru | General | Free Peru | Keiko Fujimori | Popular Force | 2,724,752 | 18.92% | 1st | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
| General (2nd round) | 8,836,380 | 50.13% | 1st | N/A | Won | Gain[230][231] | ||||||||
Bolivia
Grand Collar of theOrder of the Condor of the Andes (2021)[232]
Peru
Grand Master of theOrder of the Sun of Peru (2021)[233].svg)
Grand Master of theOrder of Merit for Distinguished Service [es] (2021)[233]Rural and indigenous peoples have been historically under-served by Lima-based national institutions. In 2021, Peruvians elected the country's first 'campesino president,' but he faced an obstructionist opposition and proved unable to make good on any of his campaign promises, producing significant disillusion.
President Pedro Castillo of Peru was ousted from office and later detained by authorities after he illegally attempted to dissolve congress hours before the body was set to vote on his impeachment.
Pedro Castillo, a far-left but socially conservative union leader and teacher, ... .
Both candidates are socially conservative – opposed to abortion and gay marriage.
... two autocratic and socially conservative candidates who each routinely flout social distancing at their campaign rallies and appear to have a shaky grasp of the science around the pandemic.
two socially conservative candidates that oppose abortion, same-sex marriage and gender equality-based education.
The Keiko Fujimori campaign seized upon the Vizcatán massacre to reiterate the 'Castillo-as-extremist' narrative, pointing to alleged ties between Castillo and a Shining Path front group, MOVADEF, to suggest that Castillo bore some responsibility for the gruesome killings.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Free Peru nominee for President of Peru 2021 | Most recent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of Peru 2021–2022 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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