lilia paredesthe wife of the former Peruvian president Pedro Castillacurrently refugee in Mexico, can be sentenced to a minimum of eight years in prison in the process that follows allegedly integrating a criminal organization into the government of Perusaid the Public Prosecution Service on Thursday.

“This Public Prosecution Service concludes, as a concrete forecast of punishment (advance knowledge of an event), that at the time of sentencing, if that were the case, he would receive a whopping 8 years in prison”, said the prosecutor José García.

In presenting the arguments of the request to change from simple appearances to 28 months of preventive detention against Paredes and others under investigation, the prosecutor said that the former first lady is credited with being “coordinator of an alleged executive branch criminal network” that her husband presided over between July 2021 and December 2022when he was impeached by Congress after an attempted coup.

Paredes’ defense rejected these arguments, pointing out that the “prognosis is a matter for the future, it is a hypothesis” and “for the defense it will not be possible to convict” his patron “because there are no serious or grounded elements.” “The defense is confident that this case will diminish in time,” he noted before indicating that “if convicted, it would be a maximum of 4 years,” which would not involve jail time.

After the lawyer pointed it out “there would be no such probable punishment”assured the prosecutor that “denial behavior has been observed during the investigation, coupled with a procedural escape behavior” by Paredes.

After hearing the arguments of the parties, Judge Raúl Justiniano, head of the Eighth Preparatory Investigation Judge, indicated that the hearing of the case will continue on May 31 at 3:00 pm. Justiniano this Thursday began analyzing the request for a change in Paredes’ judicial situation after it was repeatedly postponed, most recently last Monday, due to requests from lawyers or to correct errors in the tax file.

Last March, the judge rejected an initial request to impose 36 months of preventive detention on Paredes after declaring null and void the prosecutor’s request filed by lawyers for the former first lady and her brothers Walter and David. collusion and criminal organization.

At the time, the judge said that the Public Prosecution Service should have first requested the revocation of the appearance order issued to those under investigation before directly requesting pre-trial detention.

Castillo’s wife and his brothers are under investigation by the alleged criminal organization which, according to the complaint, led the now ex-governor to obtain bribes and provide public works to friendly businessmen, and to appoint his family members to public positions in exchange for money and political favours.

On December 7, after attempting a coup d’état, Castillo made his way to the Mexican embassy with his wife and minor children, but was arrested, although his relatives managed to reach the diplomatic mission and were later granted asylum. Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Castillo has been in custody ever since. while he is under investigation for rebellion and conspiracy, as well as cases of alleged corruption within his government.