In Lima, Peru, former President Pedro Castillo declared on Monday that he has commenced a hunger strike as a form of protest against an oral trial being conducted against him for allegations of rebellion. Prosecutors are seeking a 34-year prison sentence for Castillo, who has been in custody since December 7, 2022.
The former president was detained following a televised announcement in which he expressed the dissolution of Congress and his plan to govern through issuing decrees. On social media, Castillo voiced his resolve to undertake a hunger strike, denouncing what he describes as “injustices committed against me.”
He accused Judge Norma Carbajal of making prejudgments by suggesting that rebellion does not necessarily involve physical violence and charging him with “forced criminal rebellion.”
Castillo, aged 55, has labeled the ongoing trial as “politicized” and a mere “pantomime” in prior sessions. He has also refused the legal assistance appointed by the judicial system. At the onset of the trial last week, he denied the accusations of rebellion, asserting, “The only thing I did was convey the people’s desire through a political speech.”
The Public Ministry’s charges against Castillo stem from his attempt to dissolve Parliament on December 7, 2022, in an effort to prevent a vote aimed at his ousting on the grounds of “permanent moral incapacity” to lead. His initiative failed as Congress succeeded in removing him, resulting in his imprisonment while his vice president, Dina Boluarte, assumed the presidency. The political turmoil during his ousting led to over 50 civilian casualties amid three months of nationwide unrest.
A former union leader and rural school educator, Castillo came to power in 2021, surprising many with his electoral win over the established political class in Peru. Besides the rebellion trial, he is also under scrutiny by the prosecutor’s office for alleged corruption activities during his presidency.
