Peruvian Congress Did Not Remove President Castillo

On Tuesday, Peru's President Pedro Castillo thanked Congress for laying down "the foundations of this democratic space" in the country by rejecting the impeachment motion against him.

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On Monday, lawmakers debated for hours his dismissal, which was raised by the Peruvian right-wing alleging that Castillo had a "permanent moral incapacity." The Conservatives, however, fell short of 87 out of 130 votes needed to achieve their goal.

"The Congress of the Republic has to understand that the education and health of the Peruvian people are above political confrontation," Castillo said.

"This small group that has not achieved his mission will continue to push his own agenda," he added, specifying that his administration "will follow the country's agenda."

During his defense before Congress, Castillo asked parliamentarians to vote against political instability and in favor of democracy in Peru.

His lawyer Jose Palomino explained that the 20 arguments put forward in the dismissal petition "contain fictitious, inaccurate facts, which are intended to be used as an excuse to remove him from office, without any factual or legal basis."

"Good sense, responsibility, and democracy prevailed," Castillo said after the vote and called on everyone to "close this page and work together for the country's great challenges."