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Peru legal battles, Castillo pardon denial, Balcazar exit

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2026-07-26 12:24 UTC → 2026-07-26 15:47 UTC · added removed

Peru legal battles, Castillo pardon denial, transition Balcazar exit

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s June 4 opinion that former President Pedro Castillo’s 2022 arrest was unlawful continues to frame shape Peru’s political‑legal debate. Interim President José María Balcázar has reiterated that the The Ministry of Justice will is set to issue a formal opinion on Castillo’s humanitarian‑pardon request, but while the Directorate of Presidential Grace dismissed the petition on 20 July, stating it did not meet July for procedural requirements. deficiencies. Castillo remains incarcerated. detained, with preventive detention extended to March 2027, and the UN Human Rights Committee gave Peru a September 2026 deadline to report on his trial guarantees. Interim President José María Balcázar’s brief tenure ended as scheduled on 28 July 2026, when power transferred to President‑elect Keiko Fujimori. Balcázar’s period was marked by controversy: antisemitic remarks, the disputed US$3.5 billion purchase of 24 F‑16 fighter jets, and the resignations of Defence Minister Carlos Díaz Dañino and Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela. On 22 14 July a constitutional accusation and a criminal complaint filed by Congressman Segundo Montalvo alleged abuse of authority, incompatible negotiation and omission of duties related to the President jet deal. The purchase, authorized by Supreme Decree No 001‑2026, was later denied by Balcázar, prompting a municipal council in his hometown of San Miguel to declare him persona non grata. Preliminary investigations may proceed after his departure. In Congress, President of the Chamber Fernando Rospigliosi, formally Rospigliosi notified Balcázar that his constitutional mandate ends ended on 26 July, with a hand‑over ceremony scheduled planned for 27 July. Balcázar, backed by the Fujimorista bloc, appealed to shift the ceremony to 28 July—the day elected President Keiko Fujimori is to be inaugurated—to avoid a one‑day “vacuum of power.” following day. Legal scholars warned that the Congress‑set date schedule could create a brief constitutional gap. The gap, a concern that proved moot when the transition occurred as intended. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court’s 4‑3 ruling on 21‑22 July granting a habeas‑corpus petition for Vladimir Cerrón remains a parallel legal development. Balcázar’s interim tenure concluded on 25 July, marked by controversy over anti‑Semitic remarks and a disputed $3.5 billion F‑16 fighter‑jet purchase that triggered ministerial resignations. Analysts described him as a largely decorative figure. On 24 July the Justice Ministry declared the final pending request for a presidential pardon for Castillo inadmissible, stating procedural flaws and affirming that “no grace, no indulto” remains. Castillo’s sentence continues, with preventive detention extended to March 2027, while the UN Human Rights Committee gave Peru a September 2026 deadline to report on his trial guarantees. On 25 July Balcázar formally left office as the interim government ends on 28 July, handing power to President‑elect Keiko Fujimori as scheduled.

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  1. 2026-07-26 15:47 UTC Peru legal battles, Castillo pardon denial, Balcazar exit
  2. 2026-07-26 12:24 UTC Peru legal battles, Castillo pardon denial, transition

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