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(CNN Spanish) -
The Huánuco supra-provincial Prosecutor's Office specialized in crimes of terrorism and against humanity opened an investigation against the president of the Council of Ministers of Peru Guido Bellido and against the founder and national secretary general of Peru Libre Vladimir Cerrón Rojas, for the alleged commission of the crime of terrorism.
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Also included are Congressman Guillermo Bermejo of Peru Libre and Alex José Pimentel Vidal, arrested in 2018, suspected of managing the press apparatus of the remnants of the Shining Path that operate in the center of the country.
CNN is trying to contact Pimentel's lawyers.
According to a statement published this Wednesday by the Public Ministry, the tax investigation orders the start of preliminary proceedings at the police headquarters.
These will be for 120 days and will be in charge of the Directorate against Terrorism of the National Police in Lima (Divitr – Dircote), which will collect the statements of those investigated and of collaborators and witnesses.
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Cerrón published the notification card on his Twitter account and said that there is "severe political persecution" against him.
CNN has tried to contact Cerrón and Bellido but so far we have not received any response.
I am grateful for the solidarity of the Peruvian people to validate with their comments that we are facing political persecution based on this communiqué from the MP which, in an undemocratic attitude, has erased several responses of solidarity.
https://t.co/87fMxPrX4n
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- Vladimir Cerrón (@VLADIMIR_CERRON) August 12, 2021
In his first press conference, the president of the Council of Ministers affirmed on August 4 that he has no link with "any terrorist group."
In the case of Bermejo, this year a trial was initiated against him on charges of “belonging to and terrorist affiliation” with the remnants of the Shining Path.
The congressman did not accept them and maintained that he is innocent.
In statements to the press this Thursday, Bermejo said that this new investigation "will end up on file" and that he is not concerned because he has a clear conscience.
CNN also sought an answer from Congressman Bermejo, to no avail.
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The Prosecutor's Office argues that to open the investigation a police report was taken into account on a press interview in which the president of the Plurinational Association of Tahuantinsuyan Reservists, Eddy Bobby Villarroel Medina, said he was aware of the alleged link between Bellido and Cerrón with Shining Path.
According to a statement from the Public Ministry, the interviewee, known as “Sacha”, indicated that both had direct contact with “Comrade José” in the senderista camps in the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro rivers, while Cerrón reportedly did. made through Pimentel Vidal.
The Ministry Publicó statement does not give further details about these meetings.
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“Comrade José” is designated by the police as Víctor Quispe Palomino, who leads a remnant faction of the Shining Path.
On July 24, upon receiving his credentials as President of the Republic, Pedro Castillo said: “We are not Chavistas, we are not communists, we are not extremists, we are less terrorists.
We are going to fight terrorism, wherever it comes from. "
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Jimena de la Quintana contributed to this report.
Peru