“¿Cómo lo van a indultar?” García Belaunde cuestiona pedido para liberar a Pedro Castillo

Former Congressman Víctor Andrés García Belaunde questioned the calls for President José María Balcázar to grant a pardon or clemency to Pedro Castillo before leaving office, arguing that forgiveness is impossible if the former president has not acknowledged responsibility for the events of December 7th. On the program “Esta Noche,” García Belaunde recalled that Castillo attempted to shut down or interfere with the branches of government, which generated immediate rejection from various institutions. “It was such a coup d'état that the branches of government came out to protest and defend themselves,” he stated. According to the former congressman, the reaction of the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Ombudsman's Office was clear proof of the gravity of the presidential message. The political leader also pointed out that a pardon implies forgiveness, and therefore questioned the proposal of such a solution for Castillo. “How can you pardon someone? Because a pardon is forgiveness. How can you forgive someone who hasn't asked for forgiveness for what they've done?” he said. He also recalled that the former president was arrested while, according to him, on his way to the Mexican embassy. García Belaunde also addressed the statements made by Jorge “Coco” Nieto, who suggested exploring ways to free Pedro Castillo in the name of reconciliation. The former congressman maintained that if Nieto considers this solution viable, he should promote it from his party in the next Congress and not demand that decision from a government that is about to end its term. “If Mr. Nieto has his party, let him propose it in the next Congress,” he stated. Regarding the composition of the new Chamber of Deputies, García Belaunde cautioned that it cannot be assumed that all legislators will vote in accordance with their party lines, given that many groups were formed quickly to participate in the election. The former congressman emphasized that the vote to elect the Board of Directors will be secret and that this could alter any prior political calculations. GARCÍA BELAUNDE PROPOSES INITIAL SUPPORT FOR FUERZA POPULAR Regarding the presidency of Congress, García Belaunde argued that Fuerza Popular should receive support in the first phase of the new government, following the precedent of 1990, when Acción Popular, the PPC, and Libertad supported Cambio 90 despite being political adversaries. “A new government, a new president, a new party, must be given the opportunity to come to power, consolidate, establish itself, and take root,” he recalled. Finally, the former congressman disagreed with the idea that the balance of power should be imposed from day one by denying Fuerza Popular the leadership of Parliament. For García Belaunde, initial governability is key for the new government to be able to settle in and begin working. He also warned that there is no absolute certainty about the internal loyalty of the new congressional blocs, so the election of the congressional presidencies remains open. #VíctorAndrésGarcíaBelaunde #Vitocho #PedroCastillo #PardonForCastillo #JoséMaríaBalcázar #CocoNieto #KeikoFujimori #PopularForce #BicameralCongress #PeruvianPolitics