The Peruvian Congress on Thursday (4) denied President Pedro Castillo permission to travel to Bogotá, where he planned to attend the inauguration ceremony of the president-elect of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, next Sunday.
In total, 67 deputies voted against allowing Castillo, 42 deputies voted in favor and there were five abstentions, which is why Congress denied the approval that Peruvian presidents must obtain from the Chamber for any trip abroad.
When speaking in plenary, the deputies used different arguments to deny the authorization; some said there was a risk of flight, as the Public Ministry is investigating Castillo for several cases of possible corruptionwhile others claimed that there is “an unprecedented presidential crisis”.
“I think at this point the president should send [para a
Colômbia] your vice president or the chancellor, but I believe that the president should be here, show his face and explain the acts in which he is involved,” said former president of Congress, María del Carmen Alva, of the right-wing Popular Action party.
For his part, deputy Juan Carlos Martin Lizarzaburu, of the Fujimori Popular Force, said that Castillo “will want to flee” if he goes to Colombia, which is why he asked him to “send the chancellor and stay to assume his responsibility”.
