LIMA, Peru • A judge ordered ousted Peruvian President Pedro Castillo to remain in custody Tuesday, denying his appeal as authorities build a rebellion case against him.

Supreme Court Judge Cesar San Martin Castro’s decision could further inflame violent protests across the country, where people have been demanding Castillo’s freedom, the resignation of his successor and the immediate scheduling of general elections to pick a new president and replace all members of Congress.

Castillo’s nationally televised announcement Wednesday that he had dissolved the Congress by presidential decree was “not a mere act of speech, but the concrete expression of a will to alter the constitutional system and the configuration of public powers,” the judge said.

This week, prosecutors plan to seek Castillo’s continued detention for up to three years. Castillo claimed during his hearing earlier Tuesday that he is being “unjustly and arbitrarily detained” and thanked his supporters for their “effort and fight” since he was taken into custody. The judge said evidence suggests Castillo was intercepted as he tried to reach the Mexican embassy to seek asylum. He was taken into custody shortly after he was ousted by lawmakers.

Police stand guard Tuesday at a barricade as supporters of ousted President Pedro Castillo protest in Lima, Peru.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS