Castillo affirms that he is suffering "political persecution" and denounces a "new form of coup d'état"

MADRID, 12 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, has affirmed that he is suffering political persecution, while denouncing a "new type of coup d'état", all this hours after the Prosecutor's Office presented a complaint to the country's Congress constitutional for allegedly committing crimes of corruption.

Castillo has asserted that the government he heads will remain "steadfast" to continue addressing "the country's main problems" despite political persecution," according to a press conference reported by the Andina news agency.

"Today we have a political Prosecutor's Office in Peru, which far from judging the real criminals, today is doing it with the Government that has been legitimately elected by the people to lead the destinies of the country," said the president, adding that " the country has begun the execution of a new form of coup d'état".

In this sense, Castillo has maintained that the Public Ministry invents effective collaborators and has regretted that people from his environment have been arrested and have been described as criminals.

In addition, he has announced that he will not leave the country despite the investigations that are open against him: "Here I am, if my blood has to run down the street for the benefit of this town, I have to do it, if I have to deliver the life, I'm going to do it," added the president of Peru.

"We want the accusations to be proven, I am not going to leave my country, we submit to all kinds of investigations (...) we know that there is no real foundation, these accusations are orchestrated and planned, but we are going to continue giving battle", he stressed, according to the aforementioned agency.

However, Castillo has reiterated that his government has been elected "by natural vote", and has promised the country's population that he will not disappoint them.

"A government that came to change the destiny of the country and today is trying to block it with tricks and falsehoods, to continue in the same situation," said the Peruvian president.

The Attorney General of the State of Peru, Patricia Benavides, presented a constitutional complaint against President Pedro Castillo on Tuesday afternoon before the country's Congress for the alleged crimes of criminal organization, influence peddling and aggravated collusion.

"I file a constitutional complaint against José Pedro Castillo Terrones in his capacity as president of the Republic of Peru as the alleged perpetrator of crimes against public tranquility in the form of criminal organization aggravated by his status as leader," reads the document signed by Benavides and delivered to Parliament.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, Castillo would be the head of a criminal organization active in the Ministry of Transport and Communications in complicity with Silva, as well as with officials from Provías Nacional and Provías Descentralizado, the Presidential Office and businessmen and third parties, to favor the consortium. Puente Tarata III and other companies in public bidding processes.