Lima, Peru — Peru’s Congress approved an impeachment motion against President Pedro Castillo for being morally unfit. This is the third time Congress has approved a motion to impeach the president in the 16 months that he’s held office. .
The motion, delivered Thursday night, was approved with 73 votes in favor, 32 against, and six abstentions. The debate and subsequent voting will take place on December 7.
In Peru, to remove a president from office, 87 votes out of 130 are needed. This number corresponds to two thirds of the total number of members of congress.
The motion to impeach was signed by congressmen from the opposition political caucuses, which includes Fuerza Popular, Renovación Popular, Avanza País, Somos Perú, Alianza para el Progreso and other congressmen without political affiliation.
Chamber of the Peruvian Congress. Image courtesy of ANDINA.
According to the motion, which is over 100 pages long and was introduced by center-left congressman Edward Málaga, it is “unacceptable for a president to hold office when he is involved in strong signs of corruption.”
The motion also accused President Castillo of appointing people with serious allegations of corruption to important positions within the Government.
Mr. Castillo is currently being investigated by the Public Ministry for allegedly leading a criminal organization entrenched in the government. In addition, several of his closest collaborators, relatives and former ministers are on the run or have been captured by authorities.
He is also facing down a constitutional complaint filed by Peru’s attorney general for alleged conspiracy, influence peddling and collusion.
Dina Boluarte, Vice President. Image courtesy of Peru’s Presidency
What happens if the Peruvian President is impeached?
If 87 votes are reached, the impeachment resolution must be published in the state-run newspaper “El Peruano” within 24 hours.
According to article 115 of Peru’s Constitution, in the event of a “temporary or permanent impediment” for a president to hold office, the vice president would assume the president’s duties. Vice President Dina Boluarte is also currently facing a constitutional complaint related to managing a private company while she was the Minister of Development and Social Inclusion.
