Pedro Castillo addressed members of parliament to invite them to stop confrontation and work for the country. | Photo: EFE

Lima, February 20 (RHC)-- Peruvian President Pedro Castillo affirmed over the weekend that he has no intention of shutting down the Congress, which is in the hands of the Peruvian opposition.

"They say that I want to close the Congress.  That has not and will not happen.  What I want is to close the gaps in this country," said President Castillo.

During an interview with the radio program La Pizarra, with Spanish political advisor Alfredo Serrano, the head of state said that he does not plan to remain in power at the end of his term in 2026.

"I would like to tell them to get that out of their heads that I have come to eternalize myself in power," he affirmed.  "On July 28, 2026, I will handover the baton to whoever this country designates as the president who succeeds me and I will go back to school as a teacher, that is my space.  I will return to my community, where I came from, because I owe that to the people," added Castillo.

In spite of the tensions with the Congress, Pedro Castillo addressed the members of the parliament to invite them to stop the confrontation and work for the country and the most disadvantaged classes.

Pedro Castillo also regretted the delay generated by the presentation of a new Ministerial Cabinet to receive the vote of confidence from the Congress, as well as the impact on his work plan of the summons that the Ministers of State usually have from the Parliament to respond to certain issues.

According to the Peruvian president, in the Congress "there is a certain sector that does not look at the country and its answers are purely political."  That, he said, is the reason why he considered that the Parliament is the one who wants to impose its agenda.

The Congress summoned the President of the Council of Ministers, Aníbal Torres, on March 8th to present the plans of the new cabinet and ask for a vote of confidence.