Iran Press/ America: The 51-year-old farmer and union leader from the Peruvian highlands, who has been portrayed as a leftist and a conservative, took the reins of the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, deep economic crisis and a history of political upheaval.
"I swear by God, by my family, by the peasants, by the native peoples ... fishermen, professionals, children, youth, that I will exercise the office of president in the 2021-2026 period. I swear for the people of Peru, for a country without corruption," he said in his inaugural address.
Spanish King Felipe VI attended the inauguration ceremony and was joined by six presidents, including Ivan Duque of Colombia and Sebastian Pinera from Chile. US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and former Bolivian President Evo Morales also attended.
Castillo comes to power with the support of the rural poor but has no experience in national politics.
Three days of ceremonies are planned for the swearing-in of Castillo, who assumes power on the day Peru commemorates its bicentennial independence. 219
