Ousted Peruvian President Pedro Castillo during a court hearing on Monday, March 10, 2025. Photo: EFE.
Imprisoned Peruvian President Pedro Castillo announced a hunger strike on Monday, March 10, denouncing what he calls a judicial injustice in his ongoing trial for rebellion and abuse of authority. Castillo, who faces a 34-year prison sentence, claims the process is politically motivated, despite his 2021 election as Peru’s constitutional president.
In a letter signed as “president in captivity,” Castillo accused the court of bias, alleging the judge preemptively deemed him guilty of rebellion without evidence. His lawyer, Walter Ayala, demanded the tribunal be reconfigured over impartiality concerns, arguing the charges lack merit since Castillo’s 2022 constitutionally allowed Congress dissolution involved “no armed uprising or military support.”
Castillo framed his hunger strike as a defense of dignity, asserting he is jailed for defending the people while prosecutors manipulate charges. The court denied his request to leave the hearing and assigned him a public defender—a move Castillo claims underscores the trial’s flaws.
The trial, which began March 4, has faced criticism for irregularities and disinformation campaigns. Castillo’s defense is appealing to international bodies like the United Nations (UN) to intervene, citing violations of due process.
Bolivia’s Luis Arce Stands with Pedro Castillo, Human Rights, and Democracy in America
During opening statements, Castillo declared, “I am unjustly imprisoned,” reiterating that his actions were an effort to protect Peru’s marginalized. Prosecutors, however, maintain he violated the constitution by attempting to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government.
In 2022, Pedro Castillo asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to instruct the Peruvian government to order his immediate release and reinstatement as president.
After he was overthrown, the presidency was filled by his vice president, Dina Boluarte, in what many analysts labeled as a congressional coup. This led to the outbreak of protests in various parts of the country, resulting in more than 70 deaths from the excessive use of force by security agents in a clear pattern of human rights violations.
Peruvians have demanded the resignation of Boluarte, the dissolution of parliament, and the formation of a Constituent Assembly (President Castillo’s key campaign promise). Mass demonstrations were violently repressed by the coup regime; dozens were killed by the regime’s security forces and thousands were injured and imprisoned.
In the wake of the coup, the Boluarte regime was recognized by the United States, Canada, Spain, and others. Pedro Castillo continues to be recognized as the president of Peru by Venezuela, Bolivia, Mexico, Colombia, and Honduras, among others.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SA
