Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo has had his pre-trial detention extended from 18 to 36 months as he awaits trial on charges of rebellion and organised crime. The decision was made by Judge Juan Carlos Checkley following an additional investigation announced in February into Castillo’s short tenure in office. Two of Castillo’s former ministers, Juan Silva and Geiner Alvarado, were also given 36 months in pre-trial detention on Thursday. The decision means that Castillo could remain in pre-trial detention until March 2026. Castillo has denied all charges against him and his lawyer has claimed that he is being “politically persecuted”.
Castillo was arrested on 7 December 2021 after he issued a televised statement dissolving Congress and announcing a “government of exception” on the eve of a third impeachment hearing in Peru’s Congress. The move was widely criticised and Congress voted to impeach Castillo and remove him from office. His former vice president, Dina Boluarte, was quickly sworn in as his replacement. Castillo’s arrest sparked widespread protests across Peru, particularly in the rural regions that formed his political stronghold. Since then, anti-government protests have gripped Peru, with more than 60 people killed and hundreds injured amid clashes with law enforcement.
The protesters, many of them Indigenous or rural Peruvians, have shut down airports, blocked roads and organised marches to call for Castillo’s release, Boluarte’s resignation, new elections and a revised constitution. Several Latin American leaders have spoken out in support of Castillo, including Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Tensions with Peru have risen as López Obrador granted asylum to Castillo’s family and called Boluarte a “puppet” of oligarchs. In February, Peru withdrew its ambassador to Mexico in response to López Obrador’s remarks.
Castillo faces charges of rebellion and conspiracy for his actions on 7 December 2021. The additional investigation launched in February will examine whether he and members of his administration were also involved in a scheme to award public contracts in exchange for bribes while in office. Congress had passed a constitutional complaint that month allowing the investigation to proceed.