Vice-President Takes Office in Peru After Castillo’s Dismissal

During her speech, Boluarte called for a broad dialogue process with all the political forces represented or not in Congress. | Photo: EFE

7 December 2022

Telesur

The Vice President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, assumed the country's highest leadership this Wednesday after the Congress dismissed the outgoing Pedro Castillo, who tried to close the parliament and establish a "government of exception."

"I swear by God, by the Homeland, and by all Peruvians, that I will faithfully exercise the office of President of the Republic, which I assume in accordance with the Political Constitution of Peru," said Boluarte, the first woman to hold the highest office of this Andean nation in its history.

The new president took the oath of office in the Legislative seat and in the presence of the parliamentarians and then addressed a brief speech to the country, broadcasted by national media.

"I request a political truce to install a government of national unity; this responsibility must be assumed by all. I request a deadline to rescue our country from corruption. My first measure will be to confront corruption in all its treacherous dimensions", said the president.

After the speech, Boluarte left the Congress towards the Government Palace, the seat of the Executive.

On Wednesday afternoon, the plenary removed Castillo from office by applying article 113 of the Constitution, which establishes that the president can be removed from office for "permanent moral incapacity" to exercise it.

In a nationally televised message in the morning, the former head of state announced the dissolution of the Congress and the establishment of a "government of exception."

He also announced to summon "in the shortest term elections for a new Congress with constituent faculties to elaborate a new Constitution in a term no longer than nine months from this date."

This Wednesday, Castillo was to face an impeachment request to be voted in Congress and promoted by a group of opposition parliamentarians on the grounds of permanent moral incapacity.

Castillo took the measure of force without the support of any State institution, including the Armed Forces.

According to the law, the person in charge of succeeding the ousted president was Vice President Boluarte, who rejected the actions taken by the former president.

Castillo is currently detained in a police station in Lima; it is still unknown what measures will be taken by the judicial authorities regarding his attempt to close the parliament.