Former president Pedro Castillo has been sentenced to eleven and a half years in prison for his failed attempt to dissolve Peru’s Congress in December 2022, an episode that escalated into one of the country’s most destabilizing political crises.

The ruling was issued by the Special Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, which found him guilty of rebellion and conspiracy. 

Castillo, 56, has been imprisoned since the day he delivered a televised message announcing the dissolution of Congress and the creation of an “exceptional government.”

According to the court, this constituted an attempt to “attack the constitutional order” and consolidate extraordinary powers. Prosecutors had initially requested a 34-year sentence. 

His defense argued that the announcement was merely a reading of “a document without any real effect,” emphasizing that Castillo never received backing from the armed forces, the police, or any state institution. They insisted the act could not be considered a rebellion in the legal sense. 

The attempted self-coup occurred just a year after Castillo took office following a narrow electoral victory. His government had been characterized by persistent instability, frequent cabinet reshuffles, and escalating tension with a Congress that sought repeatedly to remove him. 

Following his removal and arrest, Vice President Dina Boluarte was sworn in as president. She would later be impeached by Congress on charges of “moral incapacity,” leading to her ousting. José Jerí was appointed in her place and is expected to complete the presidential term until July 2026. 

Other politicians accused in Peru

Former prime minister Betssy Chávez —currently sheltered in the Mexican embassy in Lima— received the same eleven-and-a-half-year sentence in absentia. Former Interior Minister Willy Huerta was handed the same penalty, while former adviser Aníbal Torres was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. 

The political fallout extended beyond Peru’s borders. Jerí promoted the severing of diplomatic ties with Mexico, a decision approved by Congress. Mexico subsequently granted political asylum to Castillo’s wife and children. 

Castillo will serve his sentence in the same prison that houses multiple former Peruvian presidents convicted of corruption, including Alejandro Toledo (20 years), Ollanta Humala (15 years), and Martín Vizcarra (14 years). 

The sentencing deepens reflection on the longstanding structural crisis in Perú, where clashes between branches of government, allegations of corruption, and widespread public distrust continue to shape the country’s political landscape.