Pedro Castillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro Castillo
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Official portrait, 2022
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| 63rd President of Peru | |
| In office 28 July 2021 – 7 December 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Guido Bellido Mirtha Vásquez Héctor Valer Aníbal Torres Betssy Chávez |
| Vice President | First Vice President Dina Boluarte Second Vice President Vacant |
| Preceded by | Francisco Sagasti |
| Succeeded by | Dina Boluarte |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Pedro Castillo Terrones
19 October 1969 Puña, Peru |
| Political party | All for the People (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouse |
Lilia Paredes
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | César Vallejo University (BA, MA) |
| Signature |  |
José Pedro Castillo Terrones (born 19 October 1969) is a Peruvian politician and former elementary school teacher. He was the President of Peru from 28 July 2021 to 7 December 2022. On 7 December 2022, Castillo tried to illegally close Congress and rule by himself. In response, the Congress of the Republic of Peru quickly removed him from his job.
Castillo was born into a family of farmers in Puña, Cajamarca. As a teenager, he worked odd jobs to pay for his education. He later became a teacher in his hometown. He became well-known during a teachers' strike in 2017. He ran for president in the 2021 Peruvian general election for the Free Peru party. Castillo decided to run after seeing his students struggle without enough resources in rural Peru. He won the election against Keiko Fujimori with strong support from people in the countryside. His victory was confirmed on 19 July 2021, and he became president on 28 July.
After becoming president, Castillo chose ministers who were mostly from left-wing political groups. He later started to agree with more conservative groups on social issues. These included his views against same-sex marriage and certain types of education. He left the Free Peru party in June 2022 to be an independent politician. Castillo was known for changing his government's leaders many times in a short period.
Castillo's time as president was difficult because his party did not have many members in Congress. He faced three attempts to remove him from office. The first two attempts did not get enough votes to remove him. After the second attempt failed in March 2022, protests happened across Peru. People were upset about high fuel and fertilizer prices. These prices were caused by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and rules against Russia. On 1 December 2022, Congress voted to start a third attempt to remove him.
On 7 December 2022, Castillo tried to take control of the government in a way that wasn't allowed by law. He said Congress was making it hard for him to govern. He tried to set up a temporary government, start a national curfew, and create a new constitution. Congress removed him from office the same day. He was then arrested for trying to overthrow the government. Dina Boluarte, who was his Vice President, took over as president. After Castillo was removed, protests supporting him broke out. People called for new elections and for Castillo to be released. The new government responded with force, leading to violence.
Contents
Early Life and School
Castillo was born to parents who were farmers and didn't have much money or schooling. This was in the town of Puña, Tacabamba. Even though Cajamarca has a very large gold mine, it is still one of the poorest areas in Peru. He is the third of nine children.
His father, Ireño Castillo, worked on a large farm. His family rented land until a new leader, General Juan Velasco Alvarado, gave land from landowners to farmers. Ireño received a piece of land he had been working on. As a child, Castillo helped on the farm while going to school. He walked for two hours each day along difficult paths to get to school.
As a teenager, Castillo traveled around Peru to earn money for his studies. From age twelve, he and his father walked long distances every year. They worked in coffee farms in the Peruvian Amazonia. Castillo also sold ice cream and newspapers, and cleaned hotels in Lima. He studied to become a primary school teacher. He later earned a master's degree in Educational Psychology from César Vallejo University.
During a conflict in Peru that started in the 1980s, Castillo worked in his youth with Rondas campesinas. These were local community watch groups that helped protect against the Shining Path. These groups included people with left-wing beliefs who fought against terrorism in rural areas.
From 1995, Castillo worked as a primary school teacher and principal. This was at School 10465 in Puña. He also cooked for his students and cleaned their classroom. The community built the school because the government did not help them. Teaching in rural Peru is not well paid, but it is highly respected. This led Castillo to join teachers' unions. His background as a community watchman and a teacher helped him gain a lot of political support.
Early Political Steps
In 2002, Castillo tried to become mayor of Anguía but did not win. He was part of the Possible Peru party. He was a leader for this party in Cajamarca from 2005 until the party ended in 2017. After leading the teachers' strike, many political parties asked Castillo to run for Congress. He refused and decided to run for president instead, encouraged by unions.
2017 Teachers' Strike
Castillo said he entered politics because his students were hungry and had no benefits. This was happening while Peru's economy was growing from its mineral wealth. He became a leader during the 2017 teachers' strike. Teachers wanted higher salaries, debt relief, and more money for education. The government wanted to replace career teachers with temporary ones. The strikes spread across southern Peru.
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski offered to help solve the problem. He invited union leaders to meet, but Castillo's group was not included. This made the strike worse. Teachers from all over Peru came to Lima to protest. Keiko Fujimori and her supporters, who were against the president, helped Castillo. They wanted to make the president's government weaker.
On 24 August 2017, the government made an official announcement about the agreed benefits. They warned that if teachers did not return to school by 28 August, they would be fired. On 2 September 2017, Castillo said the strike was paused. He said it was only a temporary stop.
2021 Presidential Election
The 2021 presidential elections happened during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. There was also a time of big problems in Peru's politics. These problems led to people having very different and strong opinions.
First Round
Pedro Castillo was chosen by teachers' representatives to be their candidate. He joined the Free Peru party, even though he wasn't a member at the time.
At first, most Peruvians did not know Pedro Castillo. He was very low in the polls and did not get much media attention. His campaign grew quickly from March.
Castillo said the pandemic's effect on his students made him run for president. During lockdowns, trade and travel to rural Peru stopped. People in rural areas felt left out by the government in Lima. Castillo tried to keep teaching his students during lockdowns. But his community was poor and did not have phones or tablets for online learning. Castillo understood the problems of rural voters. He used this to gain their support.
He wanted to change the constitution. He believed the current one caused economic inequality. He also wanted to change the pension system and make the gas industry state-owned. His plan focused on health, education, and agriculture. He was seen as honest because he was one of the few candidates not involved in corruption. Castillo said he would pardon Antauro Humala, who was in prison for a police station capture. Before the first round of voting, Castillo held a rally in Historic Centre of Lima. He rode a horse to Plaza Dos de Mayo, where many supporters gathered. He told them that if elected, citizens would watch his policies. He also said he would only take a teacher's salary and cut the pay of Congress members and ministers by half.
Castillo's support grew in the last weeks of the campaign. He got 18% of the vote in the first round, placing him first. His success was because he focused on the big differences in living standards between Lima and rural Peru. He then faced Keiko Fujimori, who came in second, in the next round.
After his first-round win, Castillo asked Peruvian political groups to work together. He formed an alliance with left-wing candidate Verónika Mendoza in May 2021.
Second Round
Before the second round, it was clear that Castillo might struggle to pass his policies. His party had only about 37 out of 130 seats in Congress.
During his campaign, some people insulted Castillo. They compared him to Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela. His party also reported that he received threats. Castillo was also criticized for his debate performance. People wondered if he understood how the government worked.
Castillo won the election. This was Fujimori's third loss in a presidential election.
Reactions
Many people said the second round was a choice between two less-than-perfect options. Castillo's win was seen as a sign that Peru's democracy was getting stronger. The New York Times called his victory a clear rejection of the country's powerful groups. The Financial Times said he was "a hope for the poor." This happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and a struggling economy.
After Castillo's first-round success, Peru's stock market fell. The Peruvian currency, the sol, also lost value. An economist said they had not seen such a serious flight of money in twenty years. Some hoped Castillo would become more moderate, like former president Ollanta Humala. Pedro Francke, an economics professor, said Castillo's style would be more like other leftist leaders, not like those in Cuba or Venezuela.
Many leaders from other countries, including Spain, congratulated Castillo. Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva said Castillo's win was a blow to conservative politics. Former Bolivian president Evo Morales also congratulated him. Colombian president Iván Duque and Ecuadorian president Guillermo Lasso also sent congratulations.
Presidency (2021–2022)
Castillo officially became president-elect on 19 July 2021. Days before, he met with China's ambassador to discuss getting more COVID-19 vaccines for Peru. Most of his chosen ministers were from regions outside Lima. They were mainly from left-leaning groups and independent organizations.
People said Castillo's government lacked clear political experience and direction. In his first six months, he changed his cabinet four times. This was due to many problems involving corruption. A political expert said Castillo's government was run more by personal connections than by knowledge. Castillo told CNN that governing was "a learning process" and he was not "trained to be president." He also said the leader of Free Peru had "no influence" on who became ministers. A political scientist said Castillo's government had "no clear direction" and was "sinking into chaos."
In April 2022, Free Peru suggested a law for new elections in 2023. By late 2022, Castillo started working with right-wing groups in Congress. He met with conservative and religious groups to support laws against teaching gender studies and detailed sex education in schools.
Inside Peru
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Castillo's economic plan was made with Verónika Mendoza and other economists. His first finance minister, Pedro Francke, helped Castillo make his policies more moderate. Castillo suggested taxing large profits that came from good international prices. When he took office, Castillo also appointed a feminist and LGBT activist as head of the Ministry of Women.
In September 2021, Castillo announced money to provide food for poor families. He said, "We cannot understand that, despite having so much wealth in the country, it is not balanced with development." He started an agricultural reform in October 2021. He promised it would not involve taking land from people. It aimed to help farmers develop agriculture. After the death of Abimael Guzmán, the founder of Shining Path, Castillo condemned terrorism.
In November 2021, Castillo announced a raise in the minimum wage. He also said he would sell the presidential jet and ban first-class travel for government workers. That month, Peru's economy grew faster than expected. The International Monetary Fund supported raising taxes on the mining sector.
After Castillo was not removed in the second impeachment attempt in February 2022, prices in Peru rose sharply. This was due to global economic effects from the war in Ukraine. By April 2022, inflation was at its highest in 26 years. This made life harder for people. Rising prices for basic goods, fertilizer, and fuel angered rural Peruvians. They shifted from supporting Castillo to protesting his government. Strikes by transportation workers began and grew into larger protests.
Foreign Policy
Héctor Béjar, the new foreign minister, said Peru would no longer support rules against Venezuela. He resigned in August 2021 after criticism. Castillo's second foreign minister, Óscar Maúrtua, said Peru would remain part of important regional groups. He also offered help to Afghan refugees.
For his first international trips, Castillo went to Mexico and the United States in September 2021. In the US, he met with foreign investors and companies like Pfizer and Microsoft. Castillo spoke at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He suggested a global agreement to ensure everyone has access to vaccines. He said, "The battle against the pandemic has shown us the failure of the international community to cooperate."
In January 2022, Castillo said he would ask Peruvians to vote on giving Bolivia access to the sea. In June 2022, Castillo gathered South American leaders to discuss the large number of Venezuelans who had fled to other countries.
Peruvian law requires the president to get permission from Congress to travel abroad. Congress stopped Castillo from traveling many times. They prevented him from going to Colombia, the Vatican, Thailand, and Mexico.
Attempts to Remove Him
In October 2021, recordings showed that business leaders and politicians planned actions to weaken Castillo's government. These included funding transport strikes to remove him. Far-right groups also worked to remove Castillo. Some veteran leaders were seen with politicians like Rafael López Aliaga and Keiko Fujimori. These groups threatened government officials and journalists. They also called for a coup d'état. Some groups tried to storm the Government Palace in July 2021, but police stopped them.
Tensions with Congress were very high. Congress tried to remove Castillo many times, accusing him of corruption. Congress passed a law that made it harder for the president to close Parliament. But Parliament kept the right to remove the president. In December 2021, Congress passed a law saying a vote to create a new constitution could not happen without Congress's approval. The president of Congress, María del Carmen Alva, even asked Spanish politicians to say that Peru was "captured by communism" and Castillo was "without any legitimacy."
November–December 2021 Impeachment Attempt
In November 2021, Keiko Fujimori announced her party was trying to remove Castillo. They said he was "morally unfit for office." Around the same time, investigators found US$20,000 in the office of Castillo's chief of staff. He resigned to prevent the scandal from affecting Castillo. On 25 November, 28 politicians from Fujimori's party asked Congress to start the process to remove Castillo. There was also controversy about Castillo meeting people at his old campaign office without public records. Castillo said he was not worried because the people chose him, not "mafias or the corrupt." The attempt to remove him failed. Free Peru supported Castillo and called the vote an attempted right-wing coup.
February 2022 Impeachment and Acquittal
In February 2022, it was reported that Fujimori's supporters and other politicians met to plan Castillo's removal. The president of Congress, Maricarmen Alva, was ready to become president if Castillo was removed. A second attempt to remove Castillo due to corruption claims happened in March 2022. On 28 March 2022, Castillo spoke to Congress. He called the accusations false and asked them to "vote for democracy." The vote failed to reach the 87 votes needed to remove him.
In July 2022, a fifth investigation into Castillo's alleged involvement in corruption began.
Attempted Self-Coup and Removal
On 7 December 2022, hours before Congress was going to vote on a third attempt to remove him, Castillo tried to take control of the government illegally. He said Congress was blocking him. He announced a national curfew, closed Congress, and said he would set up a "government of exceptional emergency." Soon after his announcement, most of Castillo's ministers resigned. The attempt was called a coup by Peru's Ombudsman and Vice President Dina Boluarte. Castillo was then removed from the presidency by Congress on the same day. The vote was 101 for removal and 6 against. Boluarte, who had disagreed with Castillo, became president.
Castillo reportedly tried to leave the country but was arrested by the police. He is now in prison while being investigated for "rebellion and conspiracy."
Recognition
Many countries, like Spain and China, and groups like the European Union, recognized Boluarte as the new president. They supported a return to "constitutional order." In the Americas, opinions were mixed. Some leaders, like Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, recognized Boluarte. The United States, Costa Rica, and Canada also recognized her.
However, some left-wing governments in Latin America, including Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela, continued to say that Pedro Castillo was the rightful president. They refused to recognize Boluarte. These presidents called Boluarte's government a coup. They continue to support Castillo's claims that he is the true president.
Political Views
Castillo has been described as having strong left-wing economic ideas but being socially conservative. He said he is not a communist. Peru generally has conservative views on LGBT rights, influenced by the Catholic Church. Castillo's views on social issues, like opposing same-sex marriage and certain types of education, were similar to his right-wing opponents.
The Economist wrote that Castillo "combines radical rhetoric with pragmatism." They pointed to his work with both left-wing and right-wing groups during the 2017 teachers' strike. Le Monde diplomatique said Castillo had support because his views were "rather vague." Castillo later distanced himself from the far-left of the Free Peru party. He said, "the one who is going to govern is me" and there would be "no communism" in Peru. A political expert said Castillo was more conservative than Free Peru's ideas. Another political scientist said Castillo's rise was because he came from a humble background, not because he was left-wing.
After winning the first round of elections, Castillo presented his ideas in a more moderate way. He tried to balance the left-wing ideas of Free Peru with Peru's conservative views. After he became president, Free Peru broke away from Castillo. He resigned from Free Peru on 30 June 2022.
Inside Peru
Economy
Castillo wanted Peru to have a more mixed economy. He promised foreign businesses that he would not take over companies in Peru. He said those in his party who wanted to take over industries were a "leftist fringe." Some of his main economic ideas were to control large companies and change tax deals with big businesses. Castillo supported more government control. He criticized Chilean companies like Saga Falabella and LATAM Airlines Group. He said LATAM owed Peru a lot of money and called for a state-owned airline. He told CNN that 70% of company profits should stay in Peru.
Castillo suggested increasing the education and health budgets to at least ten percent of Peru's total economic output. He was criticized for not explaining how these plans would be paid for. Castillo believes that internet access should be a right for all Peruvians. He proposed a science and technology ministry to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru.
Regarding mining in Peru, Castillo supported extracting minerals where nature and people allowed it. He welcomed international investment in these projects. For farming, Castillo wanted Peru to rely less on importing food. He wanted to encourage growing food for local use instead of just for export.
Governance
A main idea of Castillo was to create a constituent assembly to write a new constitution. He said the old constitution protected corruption. Castillo said he would follow the law to rewrite the constitution. He would call for a vote to decide if a constituent assembly should be formed. To do this, he would need most of Congress to agree, which was unlikely.
At an event, Castillo promised to respect democracy. He said he would respect equal rights for all Peruvians. Castillo also promised to respect the presidential term limit of five years. He said he would leave office on 28 July 2026. He also promised to respect the separation of powers and the independence of government groups.
Social
Castillo suggested creating groups and training young Peruvians in the military. He wanted citizens to arm themselves to bring justice. He also wanted Peru to leave the American Convention on Human Rights. Castillo called for stricter rules on the media in Peru.
His idea of "socialist woman" was seen as a traditional view of society. His other plans did not include policies for LGBT groups, who are vulnerable in Peru.
Castillo announced that young people who do not work or study would have to serve in the military. It was not clear if he would make military service mandatory.
International
Latin America
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Castillo defended the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, calling it "a democratic government." His Free Peru party praised the policies of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez. After winning the first round of elections, Castillo said there was "no Chavismo here." He told President Maduro to fix his own country's problems. He also called on Maduro to take Venezuelan refugees back to their country. Castillo said he would give Venezuelans who commit crimes 72 hours to leave Peru.
Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó was recognized as the legitimate president by Peru. Guaidó hoped Castillo would "decide for the good of freedom." Castillo called for plans to "deactivate" the Lima Group, which was formed to address the Venezuelan crisis.
In November 2021, Castillo rejected the results of the 2021 Nicaraguan election. He said they were not "free, fair and transparent." He also supported pressure against the government of Daniel Ortega.
At a meeting with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro on 3 February 2022, Castillo embraced him. Bolsonaro said Castillo was a defender of freedom and "conservative values." They also discussed a highway through the Amazon rainforest.
Europe
Castillo has criticized Spain's colonization of Latin America. During his inauguration, which King Felipe VI of Spain attended, he spoke strongly against Spanish colonial rule.
Personal Life
Castillo is married to Lilia Paredes, who is also a teacher. They have two children. Castillo says he is Catholic. He regularly takes part in a local festival for the Virgin of Sorrows. His wife and children are evangelical. His family lives in a nine-room home where they farm cows, pigs, corn, and sweet potatoes. Castillo often wears a straw hat called a chotano, a poncho, and sandals made from old tires.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2022
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Pedro Castillo's signature
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Ballot paper for the second round between Castillo and Fujimori
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Pedro Castillo in 2021
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Castillo speaking during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
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Nations recognizing presidential governments
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Castillo embracing Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
Awards
Bolivia
Grand Collar of the Order of the Condor of the Andes (2021)
Peru
Grand Master of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2021)
Grand Master of the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service (2021)
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See also
In Spanish: Pedro Castillo para niños
- List of Peruvians
- Bruno Pacheco
