Peru's Ex-President Castillo Says US Ordered That Troops Be Deployed to Suppress Protests
The Peruvian authorities have taken troops to the streets to suppress protests after the visit of the US ambassador to the Government Palace as Washington pursues profits in the country's mining projects, impeached President Pedro Castillo said on Thursday.
💬 "Compatriots, attention! The visit of the US ambassador to the Government Palace was neither for free nor in favor of the country. At the meeting, the order to take the troops to the streets and massacre my defenseless people was given, and, among other things, to pave the way for the extraction of minerals, such as from Konga, Tai Maria, and other [mines]. Peruvian media will not only keep silent about this but will also easily deny it," Castillo said in a hand-written note published on his Twitter.
On December 7, Peru's parliament impeached former President Pedro Castillo. Prime Minister Dina Boluarte took an oath as the country's new president within two hours of the impeachment vote, vowing to serve out the rest of Castillo's term until July 2026. Castillo, who had tried to dissolve the parliament before the vote, was arrested after the impeachment procedure and the Peruvian prosecutor's office launched a criminal case against him on charges of a coup attempt and crimes against the state. These events have sparked a wave of protests across the country. Demonstrators denounce the post-impeachment government and call for an immediate presidential election and termination of the country's parliament.