On Feb. 14, special anti-corruption prosecutors backed up by National Police troops raided 15 properties around Peru’s capital Lima—including the presidential palace. The raids came as part of Megaoperation Resplandor 2022, an investigation into alleged irregularities in tenders for the purchase of biodiesel between parastatal PetroPerú and the private firm Heaven Petroleum Operators. Also raided were the homes of PetroPerú director Hugo Ángel Cháves Arévalo, HPO manager Samir Abudayeh, and prominent entrepreneur Karelim López. (TeleSur, CNN, InfoBae, Biofuel Digest, El Linea) The administration of President Pedro Castillo, a populist political outsider who was elected last year, has been wracked by repeated crises and scandals since he took office in July.
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Peru prosecutor opens probe into president
Peru's prosecutor general, the Fiscalía, announced May 29 it is including President Pedro Castillo in an investigation into possible crimes including influence peddling, collusion and "criminal organization" related to the awarding of public contracts. (Reuters, Jurist)
Peru PM resigns amid investigations into President Castillo
Peru’s Prime Minister Anibal Torres has resigned, amid a widening criminal investigation focused on President Pedro Castillo. The president is the target of five criminal investigations, including two probing whether he is part of a “criminal organization.” Under Peruvian law, presidents can be investigated while in office, but not charged. (Al Jazeera)
Peru: president’s sister-in-law surrenders to authorities
President Pedro Castillo’s sister-in-law, Yenifer Paredes, surrendered to authorities on Aug. 10, a day after police and investigators from Peru’s Public Ministry searched the Presidential Palace but were unable to locate her. According to Public Ministry investigators, Paredes is a member of a criminal organization within the government led by Castillo and his top officials. Castillo has dismissed the investigation as a “media show.” (Peru Reports, AFP)
Peru: pre-trial detention for president’s sister-in-law
A Peruvian judge Aug. 28 ordered 30 months of preventitive detention for President Pedro Castillo’s sister-in-law, Yenifer Paredes. The court found that the preventive detention was a well-founded request by prosecutors investigating corruption allegations. (Jurist)
Prosecutors lodge new complaint against President Castillo
Peruvian prosecutors have presented a constitutional complaint against the country’s embattled President Pedro Castillo hours after detaining five of his allies on corruption allegations. The legal filing on is the most aggressive push yet against the president, who took office only a year ago and is already facing five separate criminal investigations, and has survived two impeachment attempts. (Al Jazeera)
Mass march in Lima to demand Castillo resign
Thousands took to the streets in cities across Peru to demand the resignation of embattled President Pedro Castillo, whose government is under investigation for corruption. In Lima, riot police used tear-gas to disperse protesters who attempted to march on the Congress building. Castillo, who has survived two impeachment attempts, calls those who oppose his government “reactionaries” and “enemies of people.” (TRT, RPP)