Lima, 14 Mar The President of Peru, Pedro Castillo, regretted that Congress admitted a vacancy (dismissal) motion against him on Monday for debate and affirmed that the political opposition continues to “trip” his administration. “I am sorry that, in parallel, the tripping continues and the people are not heard, because they have just approved the vacancy motion,” said the leftist ruler during a working visit to the Amazon region of San Martín. Castillo came out shortly after Congress, which dominates the political opposition, admitted to debate a motion promoted by the far-right Popular Renewal party to remove him from office for “permanent moral incapacity.” According to the initiators of the initiative, the request is based on a series of “objective facts” that warrant Castillo's removal, including the president's alleged “contradictions and lies in tax investigations.” In addition, irregularities in military and police promotions, the “questionable” appointments of at least 10 ministers, the alleged existence of a “shadow cabinet” in the Executive, and the recent statements of a businesswoman who denounced to the Prosecutor's Office an alleged corruption network entrenched in the Executive. The date for the debate and vote for the impeachment of the president was set for March 28, the same day that Castillo will serve eight months in office, when he must go to the chamber or send his lawyer to exercise his right to defense. The ruler said, in this regard, that he has not “come to steal a penny” from his compatriots and that this will be the message he will give in another speech he will give this Tuesday to the plenary of Congress. “No one distracts us, because he who owes nothing, fears nothing. Do you think that stealing a penny from the people will go out on the roads to wait for me, do you think that having a straw tail they will go out and wait for the president?” , he asked. Precisely, the Board of Spokespersons of Congress also accepted Castillo's request on Monday to give a statement before the plenary session that, as announced on Saturday the Prime Minister, Aníbal Torres, may bring “some surprise”. “Tomorrow I am in Congress to tell you why we came to this country, to tell you what we do and what we are going to do for this country,” Castillo added. He complained, however, that his presentation was not accepted at 09:00, as requested, but at 17:00. “I asked for it to be at 9 in the morning, but I will be respecting the schedule set by Congress,” he added. Following the approval of the vacancy motion, which was submitted last week by the far-right Renewal Popular Party, with bloc support from other right-wing groups that dominate Congress, Castillo will become the second president to be impeached in less than two years in Peru. In November 2020, then President Martín Vizcarra faced a similar process, after which he was dismissed from office on allegations of alleged corruption that have not yet passed the tax reporting stage. Once El Castillo offers its disclaimers on March 28, the plenary of Congress will debate and vote on its eventual removal, which requires the support of 87 of the 130 Peruvian legislators. CHIEF dub/cfa