After getting impeached, Peru's Castillo claims he was abducted & mistreated by opponents

Peru’s Pedro Castillo penned down a series of tweets on Tuesday just days after he was impeached as the country’s president over allegations of corruption. Taking to his official Twitter account, he addressed the people of Peru at “the most difficult moment of my government,” adding that he has experienced abduction and mistreatment at the hands of the opponents. 

“I speak to you in the most difficult moment of my government...humiliated, incommunicado, mistreated and kidnapped, but still clothed with your trust and struggle, with the majesty of the sovereign people, but also infused with the glorious spirit of our ancestors,” he wrote. 

Through the tweets, Castillo also refused to hand over the power to incoming president Dina Boluarte. “I speak to you to reiterate that I am unconditionally faithful to the popular and constitutional mandate I ostentatiously hold as President, and I WILL NOT RESIGN OR ABANDON MY HIGH AND SACRED FUNCTIONS,” he wrote, adding that the people of Peru should not fall for the opposition’s “dirty game of new elections.” “Enough of abuse! Constituent Assembly now! Immediate freedom!” he concluded. 

Pedro Castillo gets impeached

Castillo was impeached on Thursday and was quickly replaced by Vice President Dina Boluarte. However, his supporters have resorted to holding protests across the nation, demanding his replacement to conduct elections over two years before the scheduled time. 

On Thursday, Castillo was taken under arrest in the Peruvian capital of Lima while he was attempting to reach the Mexican embassy, which had promised to provide him political asylum. His arrest came after he tried to dissolve the congress after receiving a third impeachment vote in just over a year.