Former Peruvian president Pedro Castillo is in stable condition after being transferred to a medical center in Lima due to mild dehydration. Castillo returned to the prison he was taken from on Thursday, where he has been serving his sentence since December 7, 2022, when he was ousted by Congress following an attempted coup.
The National Penitentiary Institute (INPE) reported that Pedro Castillo is in stable condition following a medical evaluation. Castillo had been transferred to the hospital for mild dehydration on the same day he was accused of rebellion in a court hearing.
The former president had announced he would start a hunger strike in protest of the trial against him, in which he is accused of rebellion, abuse of authority, and serious disturbance of public order, charges he denies having committed.
Despite his health condition, the court decided to proceed with the scheduled hearing for that day, as Castillo expressed his reluctance to participate in the trial, being represented by a public attorney.
During the hearing, former chief of the National Police of Peru, Vicente Álvarez, testified that he heard Castillo order the detention of the Attorney General and the closure of Congress, minutes after a message was broadcast to the nation on December 7, 2022.
Another witness interrogated was the former head of the Lima Police Region, Manuel Elías Lozada, accused as an alleged co-author of the crimes of rebellion and conspiracy against the State. Lozada stated that on the day of the incident he refused instructions to open the gates of the Government Palace and ordered police agents not to restrict the entry and exit of congress members from the Legislative Palace.
The Prosecutor's Office has requested a 34-year prison sentence for Castillo, accusing him of rebellion for his actions during the attempted coup, including the closure of Congress and intervention in the judicial system, as well as the formation of an emergency Executive to govern by decree.
