In an extraordinary two-day series of judgments, a Peruvian Supreme Court chamber sentenced former President Pedro Castillo to more than 11 years in prison for attempting to dissolve Congress, only a day after another ex-president, Martín Vizcarra, was convicted and given 14 years for bribery.
On Thursday, during a special Supreme Court hearing held at Lima’s Barbadillo Prison, former President Pedro Castillo was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after being found guilty by a two-to-one vote of attempting to dissolve Congress and assume extraordinary powers in 2022.
This ruling came just 24 hours after another Supreme Court chamber convicted former President Martín Vizcarra of bribery and sentenced him to 14 years, resulting in back-to-back convictions of former heads of state within 48 hours.
Peru now adds two more names to its long list of former presidents investigated, prosecuted, or jailed since the early 2000s.
The country has cycled through seven presidents in seven years, and nearly all recent leaders have faced corruption or abuse-of-power accusations.
Those previously sentenced include Alberto Fujimori (25 years), Alejandro Toledo (33 years), Ollanta Humala (15 years), and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who served three years under house arrest.
Castillo has been in pre-trial detention since December 7, 2022, after announcing live on national television that he would dissolve Congress, govern by decree, reorganize the justice system, and call for a Constituent Assembly.
His attempted power grab triggered widespread protests that left about 50 people dead.
Prosecutors had initially sought a 34-year sentence for rebellion, but the Supreme Court ruled that the crime of rebellion was not completed. He was instead convicted of conspiracy, which carries a lighter sentence.
Source: CNN
