Peru’s political system is on the brink of collapse after its president was accused of a coup and arrested.
Pedro Castillo announced he was dissolving the nation’s Congress just a few hours before it was set to hold an impeachment trial against him.
Legislators who wanted him out of office have alleged he is guilty of corruption.
He turned himself into police, who then arrested him for ‘violating the constitution’
The national police and army previously announced they do not support him, saying ‘he is alone’.
A statement released today said the police are ‘following the rule of the law and not the president’.
Opponents were seen blocking entrances to the Mexican embassy amid concerns he may attempt to flee the country via there.
Riot police are on the street to try and prevent the situation from descending into violence.
Congress officially voted to oust him for ‘permanent moral incapacity’ with 101 votes in favour
His vice president Dina Boluarte was appointed to lead in his place.
Peru’s national ombudsman’s office said Mr Castillo’s attempts to avoid imepeachment had thrown Peru into midst of a constitutional collapse ‘that can’t be called anything but a coup’.
Mr Castillo is currently facing investigation for six charges, namely profiting from public money.
The socialist insists he is innocent, claiming his mistakes are only due to a lack of experience.
Mr Castillo believes a part of Congress ‘has as its only agenda item removing me from office because they never accepted the results of an election that you, my dear Peruvians, determined with your votes’.
Today’s impeachment trial would have been the third attempt to remove him from office since he began leading in July 2021.
But the debate could not go ahead because Mr Castillo tried to close Congress.
He said he wanted to install an ’emergency government aimed at restoring the rule of law and democracy’ where he would rule by decree.
He had also ordered a nightly curfew which he wanted to start tonight.
The first president to come from a poor farming community in the nation’s 200-year history, Mr Castillo arrived in the presidential palace last year without any political experience.
He has changed his cabinet five times during his year and a half in office, running through 60 different cabinet officials, leaving various government agencies paralysed.
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