In a dramatic turn of events in Peru, Pedro Castillo, who less than 24 hours ago was president, is in police custody facing likely charges of rebellion.
His fall from power was swift, reports the BBC.
Facing an impeachment vote by the opposition-controlled Congress, he announced he was dissolving the legislative body.
Congress defied him, voted overwhelmingly to remove him from office and his bodyguards stopped him from seeking refuge at an embassy.
Just hours after impeaching Castillo, Congress swore in his vice-president, Dina Boluarte, as the new president.
Ms Boluarte is the first woman to lead Peru. She said she would govern until July 2026, which is when Castillo’s term would have come to an end.
While Ms Boluarte was Castillo’s running mate in the 2021 election which brought them to power, she quickly distanced herself from him on Wednesday when he tried to dissolve Congress, a move she said was an “attempted coup”.
Speaking after being sworn in, she urged Peruvians to come together for “national unity” and asked for a “truce” to allow her to fight corruption.
While she was taking the oath of office, her predecessor was already in the custody of the police.
Following his televised announcement, which he had delivered nervously with his script clearly shaking in his hands, he was quickly abandoned by many of his allies.
The head of the constitutional court said Castillo’s dissolution of Congress was in violation of the constitution.
A raft of ministers, including the defence minister, resigned within minutes. The police and the armed forces released a joint statement saying they would abide by the constitution.
Castillo and his family left the presidential palace and got into an SUV. A police report suggests he was heading to the Mexican embassy in Lima, presumably to claim political asylum.
But according to a report by Peruvian daily El Comercio, top police officials told the security officer who was driving the car to stop the vehicle.
Castillo was then escorted onto police premises where Peru’s attorney-general detained him on suspicion of rebellion.
