The president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, challenged congresspeople who promoted a motion of censure against him to ask for it in front of the Peruvian people.
"I would like to call on the congressmen who are asking for this to come and walk with me, to ask for my vacancy before the people, here in these spaces, not inside four walls," Castillo said during a visit to the peasant community of Chopcca, in the Andean region of Junin.
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"Both the congressmen and the government have been elected on the same date and opportunity. And from here, I must tell you that it is time for Congress to give an account to the country for these more than 100 days. What are they doing for Peru?, questioned the Peruvian head of state.
The Peruvian president spoke for the first time about the impeachment motion that several right-wing parties are trying to promote in Congress, among them the pro-Fujimori Fuerza Popular.
"The President of the Republic, Pedro Castillo, arrived in the Chopcca Nation for the start of the definitive asphalting of the double-lane asphalt road Pucapampa-Ccasapata-Chuñunapampa-Tinquerccasa-Padre Rumi-Paucará (section 2) that links the provinces of Acobamba and Huancavelica."
Pedro Castillo admitted that he has "kept silent" and has been "respectful," but anticipated that he feels obliged to face the constant criticism from the opposition in Parliament.
To present the presidential impeachment motion, 26 signatures of members of Congress are needed, and to be processed in Congress, 52 votes of the legislators are required, while for it to go forward, 87 votes of the 130 seats are needed, equivalent to two-thirds of the Peruvian hemicycle.
For the moment, the opposition will not be able reach the necessary votes to remove Castillo from power, since the president maintains the support of the Peru Libre party, through which he won the presidential elections.