Peru's ousted President Castillo challenges detention

Lima Amid violent nationwide protests over Peru’s political crisis, ousted President Pedro Castillo

Amid violent nationwide protests over Peru’s political crisis, ousted President Pedro Castillo has told Peruvians that he is being “unjustly and arbitrarily detained” and thanked his supporters for their “effort and fight” since he was taken into custody last week.

Mr. Castillo spoke during a hearing on his appeal of his preliminary detention on Tuesday while authorities build a rebellion case against him.

Mr. Castillo was detained Wednesday after he was ousted by lawmakers when he sought to dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote. Prosecutors are hoping to keep him behind bars for up to three years.

“I will never renounce or abandon this popular cause that has brought me here,” Mr. Castillo said. Then, in apparent reference to the violent protests over his ouster, he urged the national police and armed forces to “lay down their arms and stop killing this people thirsty for justice.” The judge interrupted him, telling Mr. Castillo to limit his remarks to legal arguments. He said he would rule on Mr. Castillo’s detention later on Tuesday.

The protests have been particularly violent outside Peru’s capital, Lima. The Ombudsman’s Office of Peru reported Monday that seven people had died since the demonstrations began Wednesday, including five on Monday. All seven happened in rural, impoverished communities — strongholds for Mr. Castillo, a political neophyte and former schoolteacher of peasant roots.

Four of the seven deaths occurred in Andahuaylas, a remote rural Andean community where the poor have struggled for years and where voters overwhelmingly supported Mr. Castillo during last year’s runoff election, which he won by 44,000 votes. Many businesses there remained closed on Tuesday, with streets blocked by burned tires, rocks and tree branches.

Shoe store owner Vilma Zúñiga put up a sign that read “Congress is the worst virus. Out with Dina Boluarte,” referring to Mr. Castillo’s successor. She and other merchants decided to close their doors, losing potential sales ahead of the holidays.