March in Lima against Pedro Castillo's government

Hundreds of people marched in Lima on Sunday to protest against the government of Peruvian President Pedro Castillo and insist on his vacancy, or impeachment, due to the controversy generated by his cabinet of ministers.

At least two demonstrations took place this Sunday in Lima, the Peruvian capital, by groups promoting the vacancy of the leftist Castillo and claiming to defend democracy in the country.

Similarly, a group of right-wing politicians, led by former presidential candidate Lourdes Flores, led protest demonstrations in the southern city of Arequipa.

The largest march in Lima travelled along several avenues to the district of Miraflores, to a central park where a truck was set up for the presentation of several speakers.

The demonstrators all wore red and white T-shirts and carried Peruvian flags, similar to the demonstrations held by former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, who was defeated in the second round by Castillo.

Former presidential candidate Francisco Diez Canseco of the Peru Nación party told the demonstrators that "to speak of vacancy is to speak of the salvation of Peru".

He recalled that on the 26th, the President of the Council of Ministers, Guido Bellido, will appear before the full Congress to ask for a vote of confidence in the Executive, and that several parties have announced that they will give him this vote.

However, Diez Canseco affirmed that "Congress has the constitutional and moral obligation to vacate Pedro Castillo's seat".

The businessman and politician added that Castillo "has added to his curriculum" an alleged charge against him, "that of being morally incapable, with which there is absolute validity to remove him from the presidency of the Republic".

Several members of the ministerial cabinet have open investigations for corruption and terrorism, and former foreign minister Héctor Béjar was replaced last week after claiming that it was the navy that initiated terrorism in the country.

Another speaker, former congressman of the opposition Acción Popular party Ricardo Burga, called on the demonstrators not to lose interest in their struggle.

"We have to prevent communism from taking root in the country, we have to prevent foreign ideologies from gaining a foothold. We are not supporting a candidate, we are supporting our country and we are not going to leave", he said.

Burga's party was identified as one of the promoters of the impeachment of former president Martin Vizcarra in November last year, and the former president's successor, the then president of Congress, Manuel Merino, was also from Acción Popular.

However, Merino was also dismissed and replaced by legislator Francisco Sagasti, who handed over the presidency to Castillo on 28 July.