Ex Peru president Castillo sentenced to over 11 years in prison
Peru's courts have again sentenced a former president to a lengthy term in prison. Pedro Castillo's 11-year term for attempting a coup follows lengthy sentences for a string of former presidents for corruption.
Buenos Aires (dpa) - Former Peruvian president Pedro Castillo has been sentenced to 11 years, five months and 15 days in prison for an attempted coup d'état.
A court in the capital Lima found the ex-president (2021-2022) guilty of conspiracy to commit rebellion. The prosecution had sought a 34-year prison sentence.
To pre-empt an impending vote of no confidence, Castillo in December 2022 dissolved Congress. He wanted to establish an emergency government and rule by decree going forward.
Congress then removed him from office on grounds of "moral incapacity." He was arrested on charges of attempted coup and has been in custody since.
The former village school teacher was supported mainly by farmers and indigenous people, who had long felt ignored by the elites in Lima and benefited little from the South American country's economic growth.
However, Castillo, who had little political experience, came under pressure soon after taking office as ministers quit his cabinet and he repeatedly clashed with Congress.
Several former presidents behind bars
In Peru, almost all heads of state of the past 25 years have had problems with the justice system.
On Wednesday, Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020) was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption.
In April, former president Ollanta Humala (2011-16) was sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering, and last year, Alejandro Toledo (2001-06) was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison for corruption.
Former president Alan García (1985-90 and 2006-11) took his own life in 2019 when police attempted to arrest him on corruption charges.
Vizcarra's predecessor Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-18) is also under investigation for alleged corruption.