Peruvian lawmaker Catherin Palomino Casavilca has been accused of threatening relatives of former President Pedro Castillo in WhatsApp chats leaked by a television report. The program Cuarto Poder broadcast messages attributed to Palomino, sent between May and June 2026, in which she is said to have insulted a direct relative of Castillo.
In one of the messages, Palomino allegedly demanded a payment of 300,000 soles from a nephew of the former president over claimed insults. Another chat includes a claim that she was in a romantic relationship with Castillo.
Castillo said the chats were an attempt to tarnish his honor, according to the report.
Career tied to Castillo's party
Palomino, a lawyer who graduated from Universidad Alas Peruanas, was elected to Congress representing Huancavelica in the 2026 General Elections, winning more than 13,000 votes as part of the Juntos por el Perú alliance. She had been affiliated since July 2024 with Todo con el Pueblo, the party linked to Castillo and his family. On July 24, 2026, during the installation of the new bicameral Congress, she used her swearing-in to call for Castillo's release and described him as Peru's best president.
Ethics Committee referral sought
Palomino had recently introduced a bill to repeal a package of laws known as the leyes procrimen. After the broadcast, fellow lawmakers asked that her case be sent to Congress's newly installed Ethics Committee. Lawyer Alejandro Rospigliosi told the program that if confirmed, the messages would amount to an abuse of power and a breach of the parliamentary Code of Ethics.
