LIMA ( Associated Press) — Peru’s ombudsman on Friday asked President Pedro Castillo to “respect the dignity” of his police escort after a video was released that showed two officers tying their shoelaces when He will open during the Amazon tour.
Castillo said at night that he was wearing a bulletproof vest to protect his life from any risk or danger during the walk, and that his bodyguards volunteered to avoid “recurrence” of low back pain. can be stopped.
He assured on social media, “I never asked or forced the police force to do so. It was an accidental incident which is being misunderstood and used by my political opponents to damage my image. Used to be.” “I am sorry that the voluntary action of the security forces has been misunderstood,” he said.
The Ombudsman’s office said on Twitter that his escort’s actions “are not meant to take charge of strictly personal tasks”, such as tying shoes.
This fact “hurts the morale of law enforcement, tarnishes their image in the eyes of the population,” the Lokpal reminded the President that he is the first servant of the nation and he is bound to respect the dignity of every person. Who works in the environment, sets an example for the public.
Castillo was walking along a roadside in the Amazonian region of San Martín on Friday, accompanied by first lady Lilia Paredes and more than a dozen agents, when the laces on his shoes broke open. Then two policemen bowed down to tie him up and he went on his way. The video went viral on the social network.
This is not the first case where bodyguards have tied the shoelaces of the president and a controversy has erupted. In 2015, Bolivian President Evo Morales was criticized after a video was released that showed an escort tying a lace to one of his shoes.
In contrast, Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera in 2010 or US President Barack Obama in 2012, among others, have been photographed tying their own shoelaces.
Castillo is the first president of peasant origin in Peru since gaining independence from Spain in 1821. According to all polls, his popularity has declined after one year in office. There are six tax investigations against the president, most for alleged corruption. The president has denied all allegations. According to a national survey by the firm Ipsos Peru, in July, their acceptance was 20%, while their disapproval was 74% and 6% preferred not to give an opinion.
