Peru Sentences Ex-President Castillo to Over 11 Years

Is this justice for an unconstitutional power grab, or elite persecution of a leftist leader defending the poor?

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Peru Sentences Ex-President Castillo to Over 11 Years

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Above: Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo attends the reading of his sentence on Nov. 27, 2025. Image credit: Klebher Vasquez/Contributor/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

Castillo's attempt to dissolve a hostile Congress represented a desperate but justified response to relentless opposition that blocked his mandate to uplift Peru's poor. His 11-year sentence exposes how Peru's elite-controlled judiciary criminalizes leftist leaders who threaten the status quo, while his successor brutally killed 50 protesters and faced no comparable accountability.

Anahi Durand Guevara on X

Max Blumenthal on X

Right narrative

The Supreme Court rightfully convicted Castillo for attempting an unconstitutional power grab that violated democratic norms and the rule of law. His failed self-coup wasn't political speech but a criminal conspiracy to dissolve Congress illegally, and the 11.5-year sentence holds him accountable for appropriating power without meeting constitutional requirements.

Pedro Cateriano Bellido on X