The ousted president and his defense, for their part, reject the charge of rebellion.     Photo: @Poder_Judicial_

Lima, November 22 (RHC)-- The Judiciary of Peru has announced that a court determined the start of the oral trial against the ousted president of the Republic, Pedro Castillo, for the crimes of abuse of authority and rebellion, and for whom the Prosecutor's Office requested 34 years in prison.

“The Supreme Court of Preparatory Investigation orders the beginning of the oral trial against the former president of the Republic, Pedro Castillo Terrones, for the crimes of abuse of authority and rebellion, and for whom 34 years of effective prison is requested,” the institution indicated in a message published on its account on the social network X.

It added that the decision of Judge Juan Carlos Checkley also includes the former presidents of the Council of Ministers: Betssy Chávez and Aníbal Torres; the former ministers Willy Huerta and Robert Sánchez, the former head of the VII Lima Police Region, Manuel Lozada; and the police officers Jesús Venero and Eder Infanzón.

Also, it added, the payment of civil compensation of more than 65 million soles is requested, which would be assumed jointly by the defendants.  The resolution was sent to the Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court for scheduling the start of the trial.

Castillo was dismissed in December 2022 by Congress, which appointed Dina Boluarte in his place.  Since then, the constitutional president has been in preventive detention.

The Prosecutor's Office accuses Castillo of abuse of authority and serious disturbance of peace after he tried to dissolve the opposition Parliament by decree, order an armed uprising, which also did not take place, and block access to the Legislative Palace.

The dismissed president and his defense, for their part, reject the charge of rebellion, because they maintain that this crime, according to the Penal Code, is committed by collective armed uprising, which, they claim, Castillo did not use.