Pedro Castillo assumed as president of Peru: “We are not proposing to nationalize the economy, it is wrong that we want to expropriate”

Pedro Castillo was sworn in on Wednesday as Peru’s new president in the presence of the King of Spain, an envoy from the White House and several Latin American leaders, coinciding with the bicentenary of Peruvian independence.

The new president of the Congress, the opposition María del Carmen Alva, took the oath of office to the new president in a brief ceremony. According to the protocol, Castillo was to wait at the Torre Tagle Palace, seat of the Chancellery, for a parliamentary delegation leading him at Congress, a four-block tour that can be done on foot or by vehicle.

“I swear by God, by my family, by my Peruvian brothers and sisters, peasants, natives, ronderos, fishermen, teachers, professionals, children, young people and women, that I will hold the office of President of the Republic for the period 2021 -2016. I swear by the people of Peru, by a country without corruption and by a new Constitution, ”said the rural teacher.

After taking the oath, the new president pronounced his opening speech, in which he promised not to nationalize the economy or expropriate private property. In addition, he promised that he would present to Congress the project of a Constituent Assembly.

Castillo said Peru cannot be “condemned to remain a prisoner of this 1993 Constitution,” Castillo said: “announced that we will present to Congress a bill to reform it which, after being debated by Parliament, we hope that it will be approved and then put to a popular referendum”.

Three days of ceremonies will mark the investiture of the rural teacher from Cajamarca (north), who has the challenge of overcoming the COVID pandemic, reactivating the economy and putting an end to the political upheavals that have led the country to have three presidents in November 2020, and a total of four in the past five years.

The swearing-in of Castillo was followed by five presidents (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador) Yes two vice-presidents (Brazil and Uruguay), as well as US President Joe Biden’s envoy, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. The former Bolivian president also attended Evo Morales, which some compare to Castillo because of the rural origin of both.

Castillo spoke separately on Tuesday with Cardona, the Spanish monarch, Morales and Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso. Bilateral talks between visiting dignitaries were also scheduled, according to diplomatic sources.

In the afternoon, he must take the oath. Corn first thing wednesday not a single name had been confirmed at the head of the ministries. Then they announced the postponement of the ceremony.

Castillo, who still wears a white top hat typical of the peasants of Cajamarca, is Catholic and opposed to abortion and same-sex unions. He gained notoriety in 2017 by leading a teachers’ strike.

In the June 6 election, she garnered the most support in the provinces and won with 50.12% of the vote on the right-wing Keiko Fujimori.

Castillo is “Peru’s first poor president,” analyst Hugo Otero told AFP, stressing that his biggest challenge will be “not to disappoint people who need quick answers” to the economic crisis and to the pandemic.

Minute by minute, in local time (-5 GMT):

13:06: Peruvian President announces that he will present a bill to Congress to promote a Constituent Assembly.

1:05 p.m .: “Does this mean that the people are condemned to be prisoners of this Constitution? The answer is no. Constituent power emanates from the people ”.

1:02 p.m .: Pedro Castillo recognizes that it will be the Congress that will have to approve a Constituent Assembly.

12h59: The Peruvian president is committed to improving the pension system and promises that it will be universal. He also announces the creation of an executive commission to install a new health system.

12h58: “We strongly agree that Peru will become a carbon neutral country by 2050.”

12:56 p.m .: Pedro Castillo announces the construction of two train lines, including the Inca train, which will benefit from “international funding”.

12h54: The Peruvian president has pledged to strengthen small media through state advertising.

12h48: “Young people who do not study or work must do their military service.”

12:46 p.m .: “Foreign criminals will have 72 hours to leave the country.”

12:44 p.m .: “We are ready to regain sovereignty because a lot of our resources are in foreign hands, it is one of the reasons which obliges us to seek a new constitution.”

12:43 p.m .: “My government will promote the creation of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

12:41: “Today less than 2.5% of farmers are eligible to access credit, this cannot continue.”

12:40 p.m .: To fight hunger in rural areas, the president promises to convene social organizations that are already working on the issue and to make investments.

12:36: The Peruvian president agrees to restore order in mining.

12:32 p.m .: “In our government, the Internet will be a right, not a service.”

12:29 p.m .: President Castillo declares public education in a state of emergency and agrees to increase the budget for public education.

12:27 p.m .: The new Peruvian president also promises to generate a million jobs through the activation of public works.

12:25 p.m .: Pedro Castillo has pledged to vaccinate 70% of the population against COVID-19 by the end of the year.

12h24: “If a mining project doesn’t have social profitability, it just doesn’t work.

12:22 p.m .: “That businessmen linked to Lava Jato are not jailed is not correct.”

12:21 p.m .: “We are not even remotely proposing to nationalize the economy.”

12:20 p.m .: “What we are proposing is that the abuses of the monopolies stop.

12h19: “It is totally wrong that we wanted to expropriate.

12:18 p.m .: “The pandemic ended up making it visible that the criticisms made of the economic model of the 1990s were founded. “

12:16 p.m .: “We must put an end to the centralism that drives millions of Peruvians to come to Lima for a medical consultation.”

12:15 p.m .: “We are going to put in place a universal and free health system.”

12h14: “We must rule a moment of enormous gravity for Peru, but we must maximize the efforts to vaccinate the population.”

12h13: “The pride of deep Peru runs through my veins.”

12h12: “This is the first time that a president has been a peasant.

12:10 p.m .: President Pedro Castillo’s speech began.

12.02: Swears Vice President Dina Boluarte.

11.59: The new president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, received the presidential sash. The national anthem sounds.

11.57: “I swear by God, by my family, by my Peruvian sisters and brothers, peasants, indigenous peoples, ronderos, fishermen, teachers, professionals, children, young people and women that I will occupy the office of President of the Republic in the constitutional period 2021 -2026. I swear by the people of Peru, by a country without corruption and by a new Constitution“

11:45 a.m.: Pedro Castillo left the Foreign Ministry in Congress for the swearing-in, headed by his wife, Lidia Paredes.

11.20: Congress sources told media Epicenter that the President of Congress, Maricarmen Alva, refused permission to Francisco Sagasti to deliver the orchestra inside the Chamber. The outgoing president stayed at the door and handed it over to an aide-de-camp.

11.00: Outgoing Interim President Francisco Sagasti bids farewell to the Government Palace and leaves for Congress to the applause of those present. In the hemicycle, he will hand over the presidential scarf.

10:45 a.m.: Iván Duque has left his meeting with Castillo. “We reaffirm the will to strengthen trade, investment, as well as the binational education and health program,” he commented. In addition, he indicated the importance of continuing “to strengthen participation in the Pacific Alliance and the Andean Community of Nations”.

10:15 a.m.: Lilia Paredes, the wife of Pedro Castillo, arrived accompanied by her children.

10.10: Iván Duque, president of Colombia, said he expects Colombian investments to continue to grow in Peru, before meeting with Castillo. “We have a very clear agenda for the Pacific Alliance to consolidate as a bloc.”

10.05: The Presidency confirmed that the swearing-in of the cabinet has been suspended and it will not take place this Wednesday as planned. For the moment, no name has been officially announced. As announced, the prime minister will be sworn in on Thursday and ministers of state will be sworn in on Friday.

10:00 a.m.: The Congress Invitation Committee has left the parliament building for the Chancellery for the protocol ceremony

9.15: Chilean President Sebastián Piñera met Castillo. In his statement to the press, he praised the respect for the results and wished his new Peruvian counterpart good government.

9.00: President-elect Pedro Castillo has arrived at Palazzo Torre Tagle, seat of the Chancellery. He bowed briefly, wearing Andean patterns and his traditional hat.

(With information from AFP)

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