The leftist president Pedro Castillo replaced this Saturday the leadership of the National Police of Peru (pnp), two weeks after anti-corruption and prosecutors raided. This with the authorization of a court, the seat of government in search of the investigated sister-in-law of the president.
The changes cover the General Command, the head of the General Staff and the General Inspectorate of the PNP.
Castle described as “illegal” the search of the Government Palace on Tuesday 9. That day police teams and prosecutors searched for several hours for his sister-in-law, Yenifer Paredes. The Public Ministry accuses her of being part of a corruption network allegedly led by the president himself and her wife, Lilia Paredes, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Removal order for search related to Castillo
Now the president seeks to remove Colonel Harvey Colchado, who led the operation, considering that he “violated” presidential immunity.
The president of Congress, Lady Camones, reacted to the police changes stating that President Castillo “incurs in a new act of abuse of power in our @PoliciaPeru, without even understanding that the institutions are at the service of the country and not for the defense of personal purposes,” in a message posted on Twitter.
According to the head of Parliament, the Minister of the Interior, Willy Huerta, will be invited to the Defense Commission next week “to account for the reasons that gave rise to these questionable changes.”
The presidential decision “would demonstrate an apparent obstruction to the investigation process that @FiscaliaPeru has been carrying out,” he added.
However, Abel Gamarra, Deputy Minister of Internal Order, assured this Saturday that the announced removals are “a natural change because there was a change of minister” of the Interior.
“What the rule says has not been violated” about the requirements for appointments. “And the police command is not being run over,” he told RPP radio.
For his part, the human rights lawyer, Carlos Rivera Paz, expressed that, in his opinion, the president “seems to want a police force that accommodates his interests. This is an abuse of power that may be linked to the obstruction of the investigations against Castillo.”
six investigations
This controversy is the second that Castillo faces due to his appointments to security commands.
In January he had to appoint a new Cabinet Chief and ministerial team, after a controversy over promotions in the Police and the Armed Forces.
The Public Ministry investigates these promotions, which presumes that Castillo and former Secretary of the Presidency Bruno Pacheco engaged in influence peddling.
The case became known after the testimony of retired general commanders of the Army and the Air Force.
Investigations to Castillo
Castillo is the subject of six investigations in the prosecution, something unprecedented in Peru, for crimes such as criminal organization, obstruction of justice and plagiarism.
However, the prosecution cannot bring him to trial until the end of his term, on July 28, 2026, as he has immunity.
This Sunday a court must decide whether to order a preliminary three-year detention of Castillo’s daughter for her alleged role in the corruption plot, while in September another court will decide on the prosecutors’ request to prohibit the departure of the country of Castillo’s wife, Lilia Paredes.
Castillo denies any crime by his family and claims to be the victim of a campaign to remove him from power.
In his nearly 13 months in office, the leftist president has survived two impeachment attempts by Parliament, and has had more than 60 ministers.
Currently it has a disapproval close to 70%, according to surveys.
