Photo: web.
Lima, 11th August (RHC) Peruvian President Pedro Castillo turned his gaze to the popular sectors amid the serious crisis he is facing, which deepened this Thursday when prosecutors formalized a fifth probe into the president over alleged corruption .
Castilo called for social mobilization against political and media pressures to resign at meetings with hundreds of leaders of the rondas campesinas – agricultural and indigenous citizen security formations – and neighborhood organizations from the popular neighborhoods of Lima who supported him.
For his part, Prime Minister Aníbal Torres said at one of these meetings that a massive march of provincials to Lima “would bring the coup leaders to their knees, would force them to have a constitution that would benefit all Peruvians and not just one particular class a sector of economic power”.
Press media and opposition politicians accused the government of inciting violence to avoid investigation, and conservative Congresswoman Gladys Echaíz implied that Castillo’s call could be seen as incitement to terrorism.
Waldemar Cerrón, an executive ally, proposed in today’s plenary session that the investigations continue until they are completed and that Congress focus on its specific work.
In his meetings with social leaders, Castillo reiterated his complaints of a conspiracy against him, from Parliament and the press and the National Prosecutor’s Office, whose head Patricia Benavides denied, declaring that he was only doing his duty “whoever falls”.
Benavides today formalized the fifth probe into alleged corruption at the Housing Ministry by a “criminal organization”.
Under the fiscal hypothesis, similar to the other investigations, Castillo would be at the head of the alleged criminal group, aided by that ministry’s former minister and recently appointed Minister of Transport and Communications, Geiner Alvarado, and by Castillo’s relatives, such as his sister-in-law Yenifer Paredes.
The young woman, the alleged daughter of Castillo and his wife Lilia Paredes, turned herself in yesterday to prosecutors who raided the president’s residence the day before in a bid to arrest her, prompting Castillo’s message denouncing the alleged conspiracy.
Paredes introduced himself to the prosecution as a gathering of Rondas Campesinas presented their demands to the prosecution and applauded her as she entered the headquarters. (font: Latin Press).