Peru's president moves to dissolve Congress ahead of impeachment vote


Peruvian President Pedro Castillo will dissolve Congress and install an emergency government to rule by decree, he announced Wednesday, just hours before a scheduled impeachment vote.
"We have taken the decision to establish a government of exception, to reestablish the rule of law and democracy to which effect the following measures are dictated: to dissolve Congress temporarily, to install a government of exceptional emergency, to call to the shortest term possible to elections for a new Congress with the ability to draft a new Constitution," Castillo said, per The New York Times.
Castillo also imposed a national curfew and urged citizens to turn in any illegal firearms, the Times and The Wall Street Journal add. Several members of his administration resigned in the wake of the announcement, including the minister of foreign affairs, who accused the president of "violating the Constitution."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Peruvian Congress had scheduled its third impeachment vote against Castillo for Wednesday afternoon; proceedings look set to nonetheless move forward, Reuters reports. Omar Cairo, a constitutional lawyer who has expressed sympathy for Castillo and believes the impeachment vote unlawful, told the Times: "Congress is still contemptible, but what Castillo has done is a manifest coup d'état." The dissolution is "completely illegal," political analyst Andrea Moncada told Bloomberg.
This isn't Peru's first brush with political turmoil — in 2020, for example, President Martin Vizcarra was impeached after dissolving Congress, Reuters adds.
"We strongly urge President Castillo to reverse his attempt to close Congress and allow Peru's democratic institutions to function as outlined in Peru's constitution," said Brian Nichols, a top U.S. diplomat with a focus on Latin America.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
July 9 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include AI in the job market, a book on GOP blowback, and a new line of Barbie doll
-
What is 'career catfishing' and why are Gen Z doing it?
Under The Radar Successful job applicants are increasingly disappearing before their first day
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration