Constitutional reform to advance elections rejected in Peru

As it did not reach the 87 votes in favor needed to be submitted to a second vote in the next legislature, nor the 66 votes to be submitted to a referendum, “the constitutional reform law has not been approved,” said the Congress president, José Williams.

Given these results in the Plenary of the Congress of the Republic, Congressman Eduardo Salhuana for the Alliance for Progress Party requested a reconsideration of the vote. Salhuana’s request remained pending to be voted: the President of Congress said that the session would be called in due time. 

The Ombudsman’s Office said it asked “the Peruvian Congress to vote urgently to reconsider the bill to bring forward the elections and thus contribute to the solution of the political and social crisis that the country is experiencing.”

The country is under a nationwide state of emergency, with curfews in 15 provinces, in the context of protests against the government of Dina Boluarte. So far, police repression has left 20 people dead, according to the Peruvian radio station RPP. 

The people demand early elections for next year, the release of Pedro Castillo, the closure of Congress, the resignation of the president, Dina Boluarte, and a constituent assembly.

Pedro Castillo has been detained since December 7 after being dismissed by Congress, following his failed attempt to dissolve the Parliament and establish a government of exception. Yesterday, the country’s Judicial Power (PJ) ordered 18 months of preventive detention against him for the alleged crime of rebellion. 

Amidst the political crisis in the South American country, the recently appointed ministers of Education and Culture, Patricia Correa and Jair Pérez Brañez, respectively, resigned from their posts.