The congressman Guillermo Bermejo will go to prison. The Judiciary handed down a 15-year sentence against the bench legislator Voices of the People – Together for Peru for the crime of affiliation to a terrorist organization. The TThird Superior Criminal Chamber National Transitory Liquidator concluded that Bermejo joined the ranks of Luminous Path between 2008 and 2009, where he was known by the alias Comrade ‘Che’. In addition, the PJ imposed a fine of S/. 100,000 as civil reparation. In this way, Bermejo would be deprived of his freedom until May 2040.
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At first, Prosecutor’s Office ordered 20 years in prison against the congressman. However, the PJ only gave 15 years against him. As the court explained, Bermejo actively participated in illegal camps of the organization founded by Abimael Guzmanwhere he took part in indoctrination activities. The leaders would also have attended these meetings. Victor and Jorge Quispe Palomino. Faced with the judicial decision, the parliamentarian’s defense expressed their disagreement, ensuring that they will request the annulment and will wait for official notification to present the corresponding legal remedies. On the other hand, the Prosecutor’s Office agreed. It is worth mentioning that, although the PJ indicated his affiliation with SL, the organization related to the brothers Quispe Palomino is he Militarized Communist Party of Peru (MPCP).
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“The evidence presented in the oral trial causes convection in the court that the accused Guillermo Bermejo Rojas He belongs to the terrorist organization Sendero Luminoso and between 2008 and 2009 he moved to the camp of the VRAEM to carry out the task of recruiting young new militants for political work. (…) We order that a document be issued for his internment in the penal establishment provided by the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE),” said the judge. Juan Carlos Santillán Tuestamagistrate of the aforementioned Criminal Chamber.
He Judiciary PowerHe also ordered his disqualification from public office and the suspension of his political rights. This suspension will be enabled for up to 2 years after the sentence is served. For several months, Bermejo had expressed his interest in running for the Presidency of the Republic in the next general elections for the ‘Venceremos’ electoral alliance. However, the court ruling would prevent him from continuing with that candidacy. Given this decision, the presidential candidate of ‘Venceremos’ would be the militant from Nuevo Perú, also nominated to occupy that position: Vicente Alanoca.
Russet He joins the list of political figures mentioned as possible participants in the upcoming elections who have been disqualified from exercising public office. Among them are Antauro Humala and Martin Vizcarra. The former ruler Pedro Castillo could join this group if the Congress of the Republic This will be determined soon.
It is not the first time that Bermejo faces a trial for this crime
In 2022, the congressman and presidential candidate was prosecuted for the same accusation. However, on that occasion the Second Temporary National Superior Criminal Chamber He acquitted him due to insufficient evidence.
Hours before the sentence was announced, Russet He declared to La República that he was calm about the ruling that the Judiciary: “I believe that nowhere in the world do they try you three times for the same thing, and even more so when there have been two national courts, specialized in the matter, that have unanimously acquitted me on two occasions. I am extremely calm because my conscience is at peace. As a man of faith, I trust in God and I am sure that, if there is no political or media interference, I will be acquitted for the third time,” he said before the sentence was issued against him.
Zaira Arias would replace Guillermo Bermejo in Congress
With this conviction, the bench of Russet in Congress it would remain vacant. In this case, the position would be assumed by the candidate with the most votes after him. As recalled, Bermejo entered Parliament as a representative of the party Free Peru. On that list, whoever holds that condition is Zaira Arias. The former Peru Libre candidate will enter as an accessory and will occupy the seat of the now sentenced congressman.
Arias is a communicator and was a member of the pencil party until 2022. At the time, she denounced Free Peru of presenting a list of candidates for councilors with false signatures. Furthermore, he pointed out that Vladimir Cerron played a role in his departure from the party and described the alleged action as “arbitrary.”
In the last hours, a controversy was generated because article 15-A of the Congress Regulations establishes that congressmen convicted with a final sentence for terrorism crimes cannot be replaced by their assistants. On social networks, the possibility arose that Bermejo’s seat would be vacant. However, the criminal lawyer Mario Amoretti Navarro explained to The Republic that that would not be the case.
“Article 15-A must be read carefully. It states that there must be a final ruling, and this is not the case, because an appeal for annulment can still be filed and the Supreme Court could revoke it. Consequently, the Board of Directors will appoint the accessory Zaira Arias. It is a situation similar to that of General Donayre, who was also convicted when he was a congressman, and at that time an accessory was appointed,” the jurist told this medium.
Reactions from Congress after sentence against Guillermo Bermejo
Guido Bellido ( Podemos Perú ), who faces accusations similar to those of Bermejo, questioned the judicial process followed against his fellow congressman. “I don’t know the substance of the matter, but it seems strange to me that on two occasions he has been acquitted and that he was only convicted on the third occasion. It seems that they have been looking for a tailor-made judge,” he said.
For its part, Patricia Juarez (Fuerza Popular) expressed its support for the sentence issued by the Judiciary. “What corresponds is that the congressman Russet submit to justice. Each person must take responsibility for their actions. (…) Even though (Perú Libre) knew that there were people investigated for terrorism, they included them in their lists,” he stated. In addition, he maintained that article 15-A would prevent an accessory from being appointed to replace Bermejo, although said article specifies that this provision applies only to final convictions and not to first-instance sentences, like his.
