The ousted president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, returned to “show his face” through a letter in which he made harsh accusations against the Prosecutor’s Office, Congress and the current president of that country, Dina Boluarte.
The former president’s handwritten letter was released by Congressman Guillermo Bermejo, which constitutes the first pronouncement since his arrest last Wednesday, after Congress dismissed him and he previously carried out a coup that was conspired hours later.
In the letter, he accused the Prosecutor’s Office, the legislature and President Boluarte of directing a “Machiavellian plan” against him.
Likewise, Castillo stated in the letter that Several people “forced him to take a sample” of blood last Friday and they did it again the day before (Saturday).
“In the afternoon of yesterday (Friday) a group of camouflaged doctors and a faceless prosecutor forced me to take a sample without my consent, likewise today (Saturday), they returned with the same thing for having denied me, for safety and my integrity”, according to what was stated by the former president in the text.
And added that “I do not rule out that this Machiavellian plan is directed by the Prosecutor of the Nation (Patricia Benavides), the President of Congress (José Williams Zapata) and Mrs. Boluarte (possessed president of Peru)”.
For his part, congressman Guillermo Bermejo, when announcing the text, pointed out that He did so after advancing a visit to the detained ex-president “and authorized me to disseminate this letter with his signature.”
Regarding the complaint about the collection of blood samples from Castillo, last Friday it was made public that a team of legal doctors from the Prosecutor’s Office visited him to take them in order to carry out a toxicological test. to determine if he was under the influence of any substance when he delivered the speech by which he dissolved Congress and established the state of emergency.
The news that was released after Congressman Bermejo suggested that Castillo “was not in his faculties” when he committed the acts that are being judged as a crime of rebellion.
The congressman himself had requested that this test be carried out to determine if it had been an “induced” movement.
Protests leave more than 16 injured
Meanwhile, in the interior of Peru, the protests took a violent turn with more than 16 injured in clashes between thousands of demonstrators and police in the southern Andean city of Andahuaylas, in the Apurímac region, the birthplace of Boluarte.
“Clash between population and Police leaves 16 people and 4 police officers injured, so far,” reported the Ombudsman’s Office via Twitter in a preliminary balance of the facts.
The injured were being taken to the hospital, the institution added without specifying their state of health. Protesters used slingshots and stones to attack the city prosecutor’s office, while police repelled the attack with tear gas.
The two police officers who were held hostage for hours are now free, the Ombudsman’s Office said.
“We call for calm in the face of the events that have been taking place in Andahuaylas. We ask for respect and tranquility to the population that makes use of its right to protest. We reject any act of violence that puts the integrity of the human being at risk,” the National Police previously stated.
In Arequipa, some 1,000 km south of Lima, groups of informal miners were marching towards the Peruvian capital.
In Lima, hundreds marched through the historic center of the capital towards Congress called by left-wing groups in a demonstration that brought together fewer people than in previous days.
“We are protesting because they have kidnapped our president, we want his freedom,” said to the AFP Rosa Gutierrez, 60 years old.
“This lady is a usurper, she is occupying the place of President Castillo, out of ambition she betrayed (him),” Ruth Orihuela, 46, expressed for her part.
In the rest of the country, the roadblocks continued for the third day in the southern areas where Castillo enjoys the greatest support. However, the protesters have not grown in number.
In the Ica and Arequipa regions, several sections of the Pan-American Highway continued to be blocked, the main highway that crosses the country from north to south, leaving dozens of buses and cargo trucks stranded.
The events caused the police to announce the suspension of vacations and permits for its staff until “further order.”
*With information from Europa Press and AFP.