Speech by the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ana Cecilia Gervasi Díaz at the VII Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC

Thank you, Mr President,

I would like to begin my speech by conveying the cordial greetings from President Dina Boluarte Zegarra. I would like to thank the Government of the Republic of Argentina for organising this meeting and for the outstanding management carried out in the exercise of the Pro Tempore Presidency of CELAC.

Peru, in turn, wishes to join in the unanimous greeting to Brazil's long-awaited return to this forum. This is an event of the utmost importance that corrects a sensitive absence and consolidates the projection of CELAC as a space for meeting and convergence of all Latin American and Caribbean countries, beyond the natural differences that may exist between our States. Likewise, we congratulate St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as the first English-speaking Caribbean country to assume the presidency of our community, and we offer them our sincere cooperation.

We believe, with conviction, that the formula of "unity in diversity", taken up by our Community since the Caracas Declaration, and reaffirmed with the Process of Reflection that we concluded in 2021, remains fully valid and important today. The concertation among our 33 countries must be conducted with pragmatism, solidarity and full respect for our internal processes, around our shared agenda, and in the constant search for the consensus we require to face the challenges of the region.

Along these lines, we must also reaffirm the principles of international law of non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of the countries, that are part of the founding and current documents of CELAC, such as the Declaration of Buenos Aires that we will approve today, for which Peru urges the Member States to fully comply.

The strengthening of CELAC's dialogue with our extra-regional partners, whose presence at this meeting we welcome in a special way, is an element of singular relevance. In a complex and changing international context, it is urgent to strengthen inter-regional dialogue, to promote rapprochement and cooperation, with a view to generating greater opportunities for development and well-being.

We value the thematic enrichment of the CELAC working agenda, including now social issues of special gravity aimed at reducing the gaps that, unfortunately, in recent years have deepened in the region.

Peru, also, welcomes the fact that our collective reflection has addressed issues of great regional impact such as the defence of democracy, the fight against corruption, the migration issue, and our vulnerabilities in the face of climate change. I would also like to highlight the leading role played by Latin America and the Caribbean in the formation of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which will draw up a legally binding international instrument to address the problem of plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

Peru pursues a State policy with neighbouring countries, with the aim of building relations of friendship, cooperation and integration that favour the development of the peoples, and we have made significant progress with all of them in this direction.

Echoing the intervention of my colleague from Ecuador, I would like to emphasise that on 26 October this year we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Peace Agreements between Peru and Ecuador, on the basis of which we have built a relationship of sincere friendship and integration, which is an example of how two countries can move from situations of conflict to schemes of deep integration in favour of their peoples.

The situation in Peru

On the other hand, Mr President, with regard to the situation in Peru, to which various delegations have referred, I would like to point out the following:

On 7 December 2022, a coup d'état took place in Peru. Then President Pedro Castillo announced, on national television, the unconstitutional dissolution of the Congress of the Republic and ordered the security forces to intervene, as well as to intervene the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Constitutional Court, and the National Justice Board, entities that were in charge of investigating the accusations against then president Castillo for corruption and organised crime.

Using its constitutional powers, Congress declared the vacancy of then President Castillo, and the Judiciary ordered his preventive detention for the alleged commission of the crime of rebellion, typified in our legal system as such. Then Vice-President Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency of the Republic by constitutional mandate.

Let us be clear. The current situation of former president Pedro Castillo was generated by Pedro Castillo himself.

This political crisis gave rise to protests and mobilisations that include both legitimate demands that undoubtedly reflect a historical debt with regions and sectors of the population that have been marginalised for decades, as well as actions motivated by political interests or with the deliberate purpose of producing violence and destruction, including the attempted takeover of airports and other critical assets, the burning of public offices, attacks on police stations and prosecutors' offices, and road closures, among others. These violent actions are clearly intended to subvert the constitutional order and to achieve political objectives that these groups cannot achieve through constitutional channels.

The situations described above constitute threats to our democracy and to the rule of law in the region, such as the condemnable actions that occurred in Brazil recently.

It is regrettable, therefore, that some governments, of particularly close countries, have not accompanied Peru in this difficult institutional situation and, rather, have prioritised ideological affinity over unequivocal support for the rule of law and constitutional succession, seeking to establish a distorted narrative that does not correspond to the facts.

It is surprising that in 2023, after the vast majority of countries in the region have experienced coups and other traumatic episodes of constitutional rupture, with extremely painful consequences, it is not possible to achieve the unanimous rejection of an attempt to illegally close down Congress and the institutions that are the guardians of democracy in Peru, my country.

The government of Peru deeply regrets the tragic loss of human lives that occurred in the context of these demonstrations and acts of violence, which are being investigated by the competent bodies, which have full constitutional freedom and autonomy to find the truth, and to ensure that those responsible are tried and punished in accordance with the law, and that the families of the victims are compensated. It is false and offensive to insinuate, as has been mentioned today, that the government has authorised the violent repression of protesters.

I would like to reaffirm, in this forum, our commitment to the preservation of democratic values and principles, and to the full and unrestricted observance of human rights and of the rule of law. Thus, at the invitation of the Peruvian government, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have visited Peru and will shortly present reports and conclusions, while monitoring the situation. In addition, tomorrow, Peru will share with the international community its policies in favour of the fulfilment of its human rights obligations, in the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The prosecutor's office investigates each and every death with complete autonomy and accompanies the National Police in actions to control violence and protect people's lives. That means the lives of the 33 million Peruvians, who are the real victims of this situation of violence.

In the current context, any way out of the crisis must first and foremost involve the establishment of a broad dialogue, the search for agreements and respect for the rule of law. You can count on the sincere willingness of the Peruvian government to do its utmost effort to restore confidence through dialogue and to stop the confrontations that lead nowhere.

The transitional government of Peru expects our regional community to reject any measure aimed at undermining democratic stability and institutionality in my country, as well as the use of indiscriminate violence and acts of vandalism. It also reiterates the democratic and institutional solution proposed by President Dina Boluarte: early general elections in 2024, so that the people of Peru, in a sovereign manner and without any interference whatsoever, can decide their future in peace and freedom.

Peru reiterates that democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean does not allow for interruptions or setbacks, and is a conquest that must be persisted with.

Thank you.