Castillo won the 2021 elections and took office on July 28 of that year for a five-year term.​

Mexico City, December 13 (RHC/teleSUR)-- The governments of Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina have expressed their "deep concern" over the arrest of the former president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, and called for respect for the will of the people.

Through a joint declaration, the four countries of the region detailed that it is not news to the world that President Castillo, from the day of his election, was the victim of anti-democratic harassment, in violation of Article 23 of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.  They pointed out that Castillo was subjected to judicial treatment in the same manner in violation of Article 25 of the Inter-American convention.

Authorities from the four Latin American nations pointed out that "our governments call on all the actors involved in the previous process to prioritize the will of the citizens that was pronounced at the ballot box."   This "is the way to interpret the scope and meaning of the notion of democracy as set forth in the Inter-American Human Rights System," they emphasized.

"We urge the members of the institutions to refrain from reversing the will of the people expressed through free suffrage."

The statement read: "We request that the authorities fully respect the human rights of President Pedro Castillo and that he be guaranteed judicial protection in the terms enshrined" in Article 25 of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.

Castillo won the 2021 elections and took office on July 28 of that year for a five-year term.  However, last week, he was removed from office by Congress and held in prison on charges of alleged rebellion and conspiracy.