The former Minister of Defense of Peru, Gustavo Bobbio, stated that former President Pedro Castillo deserves three or four years in prison "for being stupid," but not for the crime of rebellion in relation to the failed coup d'état of 2022 for which he is accused by the Prosecutor's Office.
Bobbio, who had been appointed Minister of Defense just two days before the events, was present when Castillo announced his attempted coup in December 2022, which led to his dismissal and the ascension of then Vice President Dina Boluarte.
During the trial against Castillo for alleged rebellion, Bobbio highlighted that, in his opinion, many rules have been violated and denied the existence of a conspiracy surrounding the events. He expressed that he did not attempt to prevent Castillo from reading his speech because he respects hierarchies and considered that the former president "was fed up with all this garbage."
Bobbio asserted that Castillo was not governing well and that his stance in the trial, which he considers political, makes him appear "quite dignified" despite his mistakes. In a recent hearing, Castillo testified against his preventive detention and reiterated his innocence regarding the crime of rebellion.
During the hearing, it was reported that Castillo's public defense attorney resigned due to "loss of trust" and the lack of respect that he believes the former president has shown towards him. During the session, the Prosecutor's Office called Bobbio as a witness, who stated that neither he nor the generals of the Armed Forces were aware of Castillo's intentions.
