Peru: President Sagasti Rejects Coup Call by Retired Officers

Supporters of Pedro Castillo demonstrate in Lima, Peru, Jun. 19, 2021. | Photo: EFE

Published 19 June 2021

They send a letter to the heads of the Armed Forces asking them not to acknowledge the triumph of leftist Pedro Castillo in the June 6 Presidential Election.

On Friday, Peru's Interim President Francisco Sagasti called it "unacceptable" that a group of retired military officers was trying to instigate a coup to dismiss the result of the June 6 presidential elections.

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Sagasti's statements were supported by Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez and Defense Minister Nuria Esparch, who strongly rejected the attempt to undermine the Peruvian Constitution. 

"A coup at this moment in the region is unsustainable. If there are people who believe that they can stir up our Armed Forces, they are wrong," Esparch said. 

Arguing an alleged "systematic electoral fraud", the retired officers sent a letter to the head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces and the general commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori keeps pushing forward accusations of fraud based on alleged irregularities in 200.000 votes, which are currently under review by the National Board of Elections (JNE).

After all these events, Castillo supporters have flooded Peru's streets with the slogan "Defend democracy and the country, say no to the Coup." Meanwhile, Fujimori voters have also gathered in some cities, thus deepening the political crisis in this Andean nation.

As of Friday, Castillo virtually won the elections by the narrow difference of 44.058 votes and accounts for 50,12 percent of valid votes against 49,87 percent for Fujimori.