Peru’s president on Wednesday announced the dissolution of Congress and the installation of an emergency government to rule by decree, ahead of a scheduled vote to impeach him to be held by Congress.

In a public address, President Pedro Castillo imposed an immediate national curfew and called for all citizens to turn in their firearms — a move that political leaders across the spectrum and constitutional experts were quick to denounce as a coup attempt.

“We have taken the decision to establish a government of exception, to reestablish the rule of law and democracy to which effect the following measures are dictated: to dissolve Congress temporarily, to install a government of exceptional emergency, to call to the shortest term possible to elections for a new Congress with the ability to draft a new Constitution,” Mr. Castillo said.

Mr. Castillo’s stunning declaration plunged the fragile democracy into its biggest political crisis in years.

[So now they have a leftist dictator after ousting the right-wing dictator Alberto Fujimori. Plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose. — Ed]