The Congress of Peru denies Castillo permission to attend the investiture of Gustavo Petro

The opposition assures that there is a "flight risk", since five investigations by the Prosecutor's Office weigh on the president

The Congress of Peru has denied this Thursday permission to the Peruvian president, Pedro Castillo, to travel to Bogotá from August 6 to 8 on the occasion of the investiture ceremony of the new president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro.

With 67 votes against his trip, 42 in favor and five abstentions, the Peruvian Parliament has denied Castillo the possibility of leaving the national territory, arguing that five investigations by the Attorney General's Office weigh on him, the RPP radio station reported.

"Many of us think that he should not travel. And that is not hate, it is not revenge. We have given him permission on other occasions," explained Fujimori congressman Hernando Guerra during his speech.

Legislator Adriana Tudela of Avanza País, for her part, has stated that in the current circumstances the signs of corruption are "overwhelming and abundant" and that in this context "the danger of flight becomes more real."

"He attends a protocol act, so it is not necessary for him to travel, and the Foreign Minister can very well go. Our responsibility is for the president to be accountable to the people he claims to represent," asserted the Peruvian deputy.

But the caucus of Peru Libre, the party with which Castillo ran for election, has seen no reason to oppose such authorization. "Don't get carried away by hatred and conspiracy theories, because we are going to make an international fool," said parliamentarian Katy Ugarte, according to 'El Comercio'.

"There are no reasons to make us look bad abroad," Congressman Elías Varas, of Peru Bicentennial, stressed.

According to Article 102 of the Constitution, the Congress of the Republic of Peru has among its powers "to authorize the President of the Republic to leave the country", which is why Castillo had to request permission to travel to Colombia.

In response to the Peruvian Parliament's refusal to allow the president to travel to Gustavo Petro's inauguration, Pedro Castillo has stated that he regrets the "unusual and arrogant manner" of Congress in prohibiting him from attending.

"From the Executive we have always respected the independence of the powers of the State. I regret that, in an unusual and arrogant way, the Congress of Peru prevents me from attending an international protocol act," said the Peruvian president on his Twitter account

Likewise, Castillo has maintained that his non-presence at the inauguration of the Colombian president-elect "undermines the democratic ties with the sister Republic of Colombia."

A similar opinion is shared by the Peruvian Foreign Minister, César Landa, on the subject.

"Our international image is once again called into question by not authorizing the president's trip (...) I call on congressmen, who on other occasions have reversed decisions to honor Peru's international commitments," he also urged in his account from Twitter.

This weekend it is expected that the Colombian president-elect, Gustavo Petro, will be invested and thus take over from Iván Duque.