Peru: Venceremos Leader Accuses «Judicial Farce» from Prison Aimed at Excluding Him from 2026 Presidential Race

Original article: Perú: Líder de “Venceremos”, desde prisión, acusa “farsa judicial” con “objetivos políticos” para excluirlo de la presidencial

In a handwritten letter from Ancón I prison, former Peruvian congressman and leader of the «Venceremos» alliance, Guillermo Bermejo, alleged that he is a victim of a «judicial farce» with «calculated political objectives» aimed at excluding him from the upcoming 2026 presidential race.

On October 24, the Third Superior Penal Court sentenced the ex-legislator to 15 years in prison for the crime of terrorist affiliation, alleged ties with leaders of the Shining Path during the years 2008 and 2009.

The Judiciary also banned him from holding public office and suspended his political rights for two years post-sentence.

In 2022, Bermejo faced similar charges but was acquitted by the Second National Upper Penal Court due to insufficient evidence.

For several months, Bermejo had expressed interest in running for the presidency of Peru in the next general elections under the «Venceremos» electoral alliance. However, the recent judicial ruling obstructs his political participation, preventing him from continuing as a leftist candidate.

«It has been two weeks since a judicial farce sent me to prison. This injustice and abuse had the calculated political aim of keeping me out of the 2026 electoral process towards the presidency of the Republic,» he wrote in his letter dated November 7.

He later thanked the expressions of solidarity from representatives of unions, guilds, federations, worker confederations, and committees of ordinary citizens «outraged by this outrage.»

«Your support and prayers give me the motivation needed to endure,» he stated in the text.

Bermejo asserted that he faces prison «with his head held high and a clear conscience, ready to continue contributing until we achieve the definitive freedom of our homeland.»

In the document, he emphasized that his political exclusion is an attempt to weaken leftist sectors.

Bermejo Transfers Venceremos Candidacy to His «Battle-Hardened» Lawyer

He also indicated that as the «countdown to the electoral contest» begins, the banners he defended «must be raised higher than ever,» stressing his proposals for a «constituent assembly, a second agrarian reform, and urgent reforms of the decaying institutions.»

«I led these efforts until my unjust imprisonment,» he emphasized, pointing out that it is time to hand over the leadership of the presidential candidacy to his lawyer and political ally, Ronald Atencio.

In the letter, he described Atencio as a «comrade and lawyer of a thousand battles,» confirming that the lawyer will take over the presidential candidacy for the Alianza Venceremos.

«This is why I ask you to support him just as you supported me, and even more so, as he is a friend, comrade and lawyer of a thousand battles, in whom I place all my trust as the candidacy for the presidency by the Alianza Venceremos,» he stated.

Following the ruling against the Venceremos leader, lawyer Ronald Atencio warned in a television interview on the program «Arde Troya» that «suspiciously, the Judiciary issued this kind of ruling just as Guillermo Bermejo was poised to become the presidential candidate for the entire Peruvian left; thus we find ourselves with a political annihilation and today he becomes another political prisoner in our country.»

The change in presidential candidates comes ahead of the 2026 General Elections, in which the movement seeks to establish itself as a nationalist leftist alternative.

According to reports from Caretas, the replacement was formally communicated through the party’s press team, which also announced adjustments in the presidential slate and the campaign structure.

Meanwhile, the decision regarding who will take Bermejo’s seat in the Congress remains under evaluation.