Former President Pedro Castillo was hospitalized after starting a hunger strike against his rebellion trial. He has denounced the trial as politicized, while facing a potential 34-year prison sentence. Following his removal from office, his presidency led to significant protests and fatalities in Peru.
Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo was hospitalized on Thursday after commencing a hunger strike three days earlier in protest of his rebellion trial. The court overseeing his trial indicated that he was moved due to a “health problem,” specifically to address concerns of “fluid-electrolyte disorder and mild dehydration.” The prosecution is currently seeking a sentence of 34 years in prison for Castillo.
Since his detention on December 7, 2022, following a controversial speech in which he announced the dissolution of Congress, Castillo has characterized his trial as “politicized” and a “pantomime.” He has also opted to forgo legal representation offered by the judicial system. On the same day he was removed from office, then-Vice President Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency, leading to three months of protests, during which numerous fatalities occurred.
Castillo, previously a rural school teacher with limited political experience, won the 2021 presidential election in Peru. He not only faces the ongoing rebellion trial but is also subjected to a separate criminal investigation regarding allegations of corruption during his tenure as president.
In summary, former President Pedro Castillo has been hospitalized following the initiation of a hunger strike against his rebellion trial, where he is facing a potential sentence of 34 years. Since his removal from office after attempting to dissolve Congress, he has labeled his trial as inherently politicized. As protests continued in the aftermath of his ousting, Castillo is also under investigation for corruption during his administration.
Original Source: www.newsday.com
