
Peruvian Supreme Court Justice Juan Carlos Checkley Thursday extended former President Pedro Castillo Terrones' pre-trial detention to 36 months. The former head of state is held at the Barbadillo Prison next to fellow former President Alberto Fujimori after being impeached for trying to close Congress and rule by decree. Castillo is also under investigation for acts of corruption committed during his time in office.

A Peruvian Congress plenum is to decide Friday whether further consideration will be given to the possibility of moving forward the elections in a country that has seen some 70 people dead in rampant episodes of violence following the Dec. 7 impeachment of then-President Pedro Castillo Terrones and the subsequent promotion of Vice Pte. Dina Boluarte to the position of head of state.

Peru's Judiciary Monday rejected a habeas corpus request filed by former President Pedro Castillo Terrones' legal counselors to spare the former head of state the 18 months' pre-trial detention he has been sentenced to pending a resolution on the case against him for trying to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.

Peruvian authorities plan to reopen the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu on Wednesday after it was closed for weeks as a precaution amid growing violence nationwide following the Dec. 7 impeachment of Pedro Castillo Terrones and the ensuing demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and fresh elections, among other measures.

Peru's one-house Congress Friday chose Rep. Silvia Monteza Facho of the Cajamarca constituency to replace Digna Calle as Second Vice President, following the latter's decision to leave her post after numerous failures on the part of Parliament to agree on a date to which to move the general elections forward, which is one of the demands of the protests since the Dec. 7 impeachment of Pedro Castillo Terrones. Monteza, of Acción Popular, is to take over from Calle, of Podemos Peru.

By Eduardo Gamarra (*) – Peru is in the midst of a political and civil crisis. Weeks of protest have culminated in thousands descending on the capital amid violent clashes and running battles with police.

Anti government protests, involving the death of at least 48 people and hundreds injured, continued in Peru, a month since elected president Pedro Castillo was removed from office and replaced by interim president Dina Boluarte.

Peru's Public Prosecutor's Office has filed a request for former First Lady Lilia Paredes-Castillo's pre-trial arrest while she is under investigation for her alleged participation in a corruption ring, it was reported Friday in Lima.

Peruvian demonstrators went back to blocking roads and staging other protests nationwide over the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo Terrones, after which 28 people have been killed.

Peru's Supreme Court Thursday upheld a ruling ordering former President Pedro Castillo Terrones held under pre-trial detention for 18 months after he was arrested following his decision to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, which led to his impeachment.