Peru’s government has announced that it has severed diplomatic relations with Mexico.
The drastic move comes after Mexico granted asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez(pictured above), who is currently under investigation as a co-author of the alleged 2022 coup attempt by then-president Pedro Castillo.
Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela shared the decision in a press conference. “Today we learned with surprise and deep regret that former prime minister Betssy Chavez, the alleged co-author of the coup attempt by former president Pedro Castillo, is being granted asylum at the Mexican embassy residence in Peru,” he stated.
The Foreign Minister described the asylum grant as an “unfriendly act.” He also cited repeated instances where the current and former presidents of Mexico have allegedly interfered in Peru’s internal affairs as a major factor in the decision to cut diplomatic relations.
The move immediately drew fierce criticism from Mexico City. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs there issued a statement calling Peru’s decision “excessive and disproportionate in response to a legitimate act by Mexico and in accordance with international law.”
Relations between Lima and Mexico have been severely strained since the ouster of then-President Pedro Castillo in December 2022.
Castillo, a former rural schoolteacher, was impeached by Congress after he attempted to dissolve the legislative body following a months-long political standoff.
Prior to this latest rupture, Peru had already expelled Mexico’s ambassador after Mexico granted asylum to Castillo’s wife and children.
Castillo’s successor, former president Dina Boluarte, also temporarily recalled Peru’s ambassador to Mexico City, accusing the then left-wing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of meddling for his expressed support for Castillo.
Castillo was on his way to the Mexican embassy in Lima to request asylum, along with his family, when he was arrested. He was subsequently charged with rebellion and abuse of authority.
Betssy Chavez was charged alongside Castillo, and the pair went on trial in March. While Castillo has remained in preventive custody since his impeachment, Chavez was released on bail.
Prosecutors have sought a 25-year prison term for Chavez for allegedly participating in the plan to dissolve Congress, and a 34-year sentence for Castillo, who denies the charges.
