The resignation of the Defense Minister, Daniel Barragán Coloma, “for strictly personal reasons”just 69 days after taking office, and 4 days after the debate on the vacancy presidential election, generated a wave of speculation.
Barragán’s resignation even surprised the leader of the Union for Peru (UPP), José Vega Antonio, and the largest EP (r) Antauro Humala, who were on a proselytizing tour in Huaraz, Áncash on Saturday. In 2021, Vega was the UPP presidential candidate, and Barragán and Humala’s wife, Haydée Andrade Ríos, were part of the list as vice-presidential candidates.
According to sources from La República with knowledge of the facts, Jose Vega Y Antauro Humala Tasso They returned to Lima so that Barragán withdraws his resignation letter.
The election of Barragán as Minister of Defense was interpreted as a way of rapprochement on the part of the President Pedro Castillo with the Armed Forces, especially with the Army. Antauro Humala is a classmate of the General Commander of the Army, Major General EP Walter Córdova Alemán, appointed by the Head of State.
Retired Captain of the Peruvian Air Force, Barragán is very attached to military institutions. During his short management, he had a very close relationship with the general commanders and rejected the attempts of the opposition in Congress to vacate President Castillo.
On November 13, he wrote on his Twitter account: “I reject the clumsy coup maneuver of those who lost the elections, who with false information intend to destabilize the country and now seek to victimize those in Congress who are trying to force the vacancy of the President of the Republic. . (…) The government and my management respect the democratic order. Democracy will triumph.”
For this reason, according to the sources consulted, Daniel Barragán resigned when President Castillo asked him to ask the general commanders of the military institutes if they would support an eventual closure of Congress.
Other versions indicate that what the head of state asked Barragan for was a statement of support from the Joint Command of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense for his alleged decision to close Parliament.
In both cases, Daniel Barragán, according to the versions collected by this newspaper, dismissed President Castillo’s request.
The president of the Defense Commission, congressman José Cueto, former head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, speculated about an alleged coup d’état and called on Barragán to explain his decision.
“A few minutes ago, surprisingly, Daniel Barragán submitted his resignation. What is happening? Was a coup underway? Daniel Barragán has the obligation to speak out,” he wrote. the legislator José Cueto Aservi on his Twitter account.
Legislator Jorge Montoya, also former head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, spoke in the same vein: “The departure of the Minister of Defense puts Peru on alert. I urge Mr. Barragán to speak out and express the reasons that led to his sudden departure from the Defense portfolio. Is it perhaps some orchestrated plan to close the Congress directed from the Executive the reason for his departure? ”, Montoya pronounced on Twitter.
During the course of Saturday, social networks exploded with a multitude of speculations about an alleged preparation of a coup d’état and closure of Congress by Castillo to try to avoid the vacancy debate. So much so that the head of state himself had to tweet about it, approximately 6 hours after Barragán published that he resigned from the Defense portfolio.
“At a difficult time for the country, with a crisis due to the fifth wave of the pandemic… I strongly reject that my government is plotting a shutdown of Congress to avoid a vacancy,” he wrote.
Silence. Congress did not rule on the alleged coup attempt. Photo: diffusion
The Congress institutionally did not pronounce itself, but legislator Carlos Anderson He mentioned an alleged plan to interrupt democracy: “Strong rumors of a coup d’état by the Executive. I have it on very good authority that the defense minister’s resignation is due to his reluctance to endorse the coup,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Vice President Dina Boluarte, much mentioned throughout this crisis, has remained silent, while her case is heard on Monday in the Subcommittee on Constitutional Accusations. About, Congressman Edgard Reymundo’s report recommends filing the complaint against Boluarte, accused of having violated the Constitutionwhen carrying out procedures in favor of the Apurímac Departmental Club.
In search of 87 votes
The truth is The fear of a dissolution of Congress weighs on the negotiations of parliamentarians on the vacancy process to remove President Castillo, according to various sources of this state power. The resignation of the Minister of Defense fuels this concern. In the counts of the promoters of the vacancy, it is considered that this factor would help to obtain the 87 votes to remove Castillo.
In this projection, the votes that were in favor of the jurisdictional demand of the Congress before the TC, on the “flat rejection” of the question of confidence in the Government, are an indication of possible new support for the vacancy motion that will be debated. This Wednesday the 7th.
This jurisdictional claim seeks the TC to say if Congress refused the question of confidence raised by the Executive on the so-called “Anti-referendum Law”, as interpreted by the Government. The congressmen want to annul that interpretation that brings them closer to the risk of losing office: with two similar refusals, the Constitution authorizes the dissolution of Parliament.
Promoter. Edward Málaga now leads the vacadores. Photo: Marco Cotrina/La República
In that vote, seven congressmen from Peru Libre, eight from the Magisterial Bloc, one from Peru Democrático and four from Concertación Democrática-Juntos por el Perú voted in favor of the Legislature presenting this demand before the TC that aims to avoid ending up dissolved.
The support of four Perulibristas for the admission of the vacancy process it also favors the sum of the promoters of Castillo’s dismissal. One of these legislators is Waldemar Cerrón, brother of party leader Vladimir Cerrón.
After moving the vacancy process forward, they say they won’t support the recall.
The votes of Peru Libre will be key to defining whether or not this vacancy prospers. The spokesman for this bench, Congressman Flavio Cruz, argued about the vote of confidence in the cabinet, which “is subject to a decision that will be taken in due time”.
Yesterday the version spread that Castillo would be meeting with Guillermo Bermejo and would evaluate changing Betssy Chávez to satisfy Cerrón and his group. The week of representation complicates the negotiations. The congressmen are in regions and the situation extends until Wednesday the 7th when the vacancy will be seen.
To be or not to be. President Castillo asked Minister Barragán to seek support for the FF. AA. for eventual closure of Congress. Cerrón would not support the vacancy. Photo: composition Antonio Melgarejo/Marco Cotrina/La República
Other rumors that circulated quickly
Another speculation that circulated widely was that President Pedro Castillo offered the premiership to Daniel Barragán, but that in the end he chose Betssy Chávez Chino.
Feeling betrayed, Barragán engineered a coup with the support of the antaurismo. However, the head of state was informed of this plan and forced him to resign from the Ministry of Defense.
In fact, on the first of this month, Antauro Humala harshly questioned the head of state: “Pedro Castillo’s political illiteracy makes him incapable”said.
For Antauro Humala, the way out of the crisis lies in the 1979 Constitution, the only way to restore democracy.
