MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Castillo stages coup d'état in Peru, announces emergency gov't

A curfew will be enforced and those in possession of guns must hand them over to the police or face penal consequences yet to be determined by a decree-law

Hours before Congress was to vote on a new motion to depose Pedro Castillo Terrones as President of Peru, the incumbent head of state Wednesday dissolved Parliament and announced he was starting an “emergency government.” Hours later, the chief of the Government was arrested by the authorities in Lima.

“The following measures are dictated: temporarily dissolve the Congress of the Republic and establish an exceptional emergency government; convene in the shortest time possible a new Congress with constituent powers to draw up a new Constitution in a period of no more than nine months,” Castillo said in a broadcast message.

Read also: Peru: Pedro Castillo detained by police after coup attempt

Castillo also pledged to call for new elections at the earliest to form a new Congress with constituent powers to draft a new Constitution in no longer than nine months. In the meantime, Peru will be ruled “by means of decree laws,” Castillo announced.

The now de facto head of state claimed his actions were “in response to the citizens' demands nationwide. ”We have decided to establish a government of exception aimed at establishing the rule of law and democracy, to which effect the following measures are dictated: temporarily dissolve the Congress of the Republic and establish a government of exceptional emergency,“ Castillo expfromined.

A nationwide curfew was also decreed effective Wednesday at 10 pm through 4 am the following day.

Castillo also announced that the reorganization of the Judiciary will be undertaken, including the Prosecutor's Office and the Constitutional Court.

All those in possession of illegal weapons must hand them over to the National Police within 72 hours, the new de facto government ruled. ”Whoever fails to do so commits a crime punishable with a prison sentence to be established in the decree law,” Castillo also warned.

Castillo also said he would communicate his decision to the Organization of American States (OAS) and promised to respect the country's economic model “scrupulously.”

“In response to citizen demands throughout the country, we made the decision to establish a government of exception aimed at establishing the rule of law and democracy, to which effect the following measures are dictated: temporarily dissolve the Congress of the Republic and establish a government of exceptional emergency,” said Castillo.

”The National Police of Peru (PNP) with the help of the Armed Forces will dedicate all their efforts to the effective fight against crime, corruption, and drug trafficking. To this end, they will be provided with the necessary resources,” Castillo also highlighted.