OAS to meet after Peru’s embattled president alleges ‘coup’ | Politics News

Organization of American States says it will ‘consider’ situation in Peru upon request from president Pedro Castillo.

The Organization of American States (OAS) is set to meet in Washington, DC, to “consider” the political situation in Peru, a week after the country’s president accused officials investigating him of a “coup d’etat”.

Pedro Castillo announced late on Wednesday that he had sought the regional body’s help to foster a national dialogue in a bid to prevent “a serious alteration of the democratic order in Peru”.

Addressing the nation live on television, the left-wing president said he had asked the 35-member OAS to invoke its “democratic charter”, which sets out the body’s mission “to promote and consolidate representative democracy”.

In a statement, the OAS said that a “special meeting” on Peru would be held in the US capital at 18:30 GMT on Thursday, and would include a presentation by foreign minister Cesar Landa, the fifth to hold the post since Castillo took over in July of last year.

Castillo’s request relied specifically on Article 17 of the regional organisation’s charter, which allows a member state to request assistance “for the strengthening and preservation of its democratic system” if it fears it to be at risk.

The Peruvian government told the OAS in a letter last week that it wanted to “preserve democratic institutionality and the legitimate exercise of power”.

Castillo’s appeal followed a decision by Peru’s attorney general to file a constitutional complaint against him.

The president, who won a hard-fought 2021 election, faces an unprecedented six investigations by the prosecutor’s office, including for influence peddling, obstruction of justice, and directing a criminal organisation.

The attorney general has said that investigators had found “very serious indications of a criminal organisation that has taken root in the government”.

Castillo has denied any wrongdoing, instead telling reporters last week that the effort was an attempted “coup d’etat” orchestrated by both the attorney general and opposition-controlled Congress.

The attorney general’s action, the first against a sitting president, must be examined by parliament and could lead to Castillo’s suspension from office. Fewer votes are required for a suspension than for an impeachment.

Political instability is not uncommon in Peru, which had three different presidents in five days in 2020, and five presidents and three legislatures since 2016.

Castillo, a former rural teacher whose victory took power away from Peru’s traditional political elite, has already survived two impeachment attempts since he took office last year.

In recent months, police have raided the presidential palace in the capital, Lima, where Castillo resides, as well as his private home in rural Peru in search of evidence to back up the corruption claims.

On Wednesday, Castillo accused “the money sectors, the traditional politicians who have always thrived on corruption” of being behind the “coup” attempt against him.

“I am not corrupt,” he wrote on Twitter.