Controversy in Peru over two police officers tying President Pedro Castillo’s shoes in the street

Two policemen stopped to fasten the shoes of Peru’s President Pedro Castillo as he walked down a street in the San Martin region on Friday, sparking a bitter controversy.

Even the Ombudsman’s Office has come out on the incident and asked Castillo to respect the dignity of the members of the National Police and recalls that the functions of the agents do not imply taking charge of “strictly personal” actions such as tying their shoes.

“This fact aggravates the morale of the forces of order, blurring their image before the population. We recall that the president is also the first servant of the nation and is obliged to respect the dignity of every person who works in his environment, setting an example to the citizens,” said the Ombudsman’s Office on Twitter.

After the controversy, Castillo has published in networks a message in which he attributes to his lower back pain the action of the agents, which he assures was strictly voluntary without him ordering or requesting anything.

“I regret that it has been misinterpreted a voluntary action of the security cash, who wanted to prevent my lumbago from flaring up and kindly offered such action,” he has indicated. “I never asked or forced the police officer to do so. And I could not do it myself because I have been wearing a bulletproof vest for some time now to protect my life from any risk or threat,” he added.

For Castillo it was a “fortuitous fact” that is being “misinterpreted and used by my political adversaries to continue denting my image.” “I respect and appreciate the concern of the Ombudsman’s Office and other institutions about this anecdotal fact, but I reiterate that there was not, nor is there mistreatment, nor discrimination,” he reiterated.

Immediately in social networks he has been reminded that last Wednesday Castillo got out of his official car during a trip to Arequipa to help a group of farmers to collect onions. In the video Castillo can be seen bending down to the ground next to the peasants.