The details are less important than the way Peru has quickly got over the drama of yesterday midday, but some extra flavour is useful for context:
- There was very little in the way of spontaneous gatherings in the streets by enemies or friends of Castillo and after watching the fun and games on a screen of their choice, Peruvians mostly shrugged their shoulders and got back to living their own lives.
- Castillo, members of his own family and his close advisor Anibal Torres did indeed try to slip out the back door of the Presidential Palace and make their way to the Mexican Embassy, where they had been offered political asylum. However on their way the security forces personnel accompanying him in the motorcade were contacted by their superiors and as a result, diverted to the Lima Prefecture without Castillo’s permission. He was detained there and formally arrested an hour later.
- Castillo spent the night at the same prison facility that houses ex-President Alberto Fujimori. He is likely to be charged with “Rebellion”, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.
- Plenty of fingers are now being pointed at Castillo’s last Prime Minister, Betssy Chavez, who was present in the room (along with Anibal Torres) when Castillo announced in his live TV address his decision to dissolve Congress, along with a series of other measures that made up his “autogolpe” (best translation “self coup”) attempt . Even though the resignations of her ministers then came in thick and fast, Betssy Chavez didn’t hand in her own resignation until 1:37pm, over two hours after the speech and when it was crystal clear that Castillo’s gambit had failed miserably.
- Another player in yesterday’s games who will come under scrutiny is Castillo’s brand new Defence Miniser, Gustavo Bobbio, who was given the post just 48 hours earlier. Yesterday morning at 07:40am Bobbio and Castillo in a joint move asked for the resignation of the highest ranking General in Peru’s armed forces, which was subsequently delivered 8:40am. The wrinkle is that Bobbio is known as a confidante and advisor for Antauro Humala, the populist leader with designs on the presidency himself and someone who has already threatened to “march on Congress” if the long-term crisis in Peru’s politics didn’t improve.
- As for the future, we may get a new Prime Minister and cabinet announced by new President Dina Boluarte as soon as today.