Recently ousted former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo was given three years of pre-trial detention on Thursday for allegedly working to rig public works contracts while in office.
Castillo is already serving a separate 18 months of pre-trial detention for allegedly staging a rebellion when he unsuccessfully tried to dissolve Congress in December. Castillo, a former teacher and union leader, was elected in 2021 when he campaigned with a radical left platform.
He was quickly embroiled in corruption scandals and faced several criminal investigations while in office. He also had a rocky relationship with an opposition-controlled congress. In December, hours before an impeachment vote against him, Castillo stunned Peruvians by announcing he was dissolving parliament instead and would rule by decree. However, congress voted to oust him and he was swiftly arrested.
Castillo has been in jail for three months already and would now be expected to remain in jail for another three years. He denies staging a rebellion or helping to rig public contracts, while prosecutors have alleged he was the head of a “criminal organization.”
Castillo shares a special prison designed for former Peruvian leaders with ex-President Alberto Fujimori, sentenced for human rights violations.
Politically-volatile Peru, which jails more former leaders than any country in the world, is currently trying to extradite and jail former leader Alejandro Toledo, who would likely join Castillo and Fujimori in the special prison.
Every one of the six Peruvian presidents elected since 1990 is either in jail, has been in jail, or has faced a detention order.
