A Peruvian court has issued an international arrest warrant for former prime minister Betssy Chávez, who is accused of taking part in the failed 2022 coup attempt led by ex-President Pedro Castillo.
Chávez has been staying inside the Mexican embassy in Lima after seeking asylum earlier this month. She served as prime minister under Castillo, who was removed from office in December 2022 after attempting to dissolve Congress during a prolonged political standoff, an action that has widely been classified as an attempted coup d’état.
Relations between Peru and Mexico deteriorated sharply after Castillo’s ouster. The former president, described by supporters as Peru’s “first poor president,” was on his way to the Mexican embassy with his family to request asylum when he was arrested and charged with rebellion and abuse of authority.
Chávez was charged alongside him, and both went on trial in March. Castillo has been held in preventive detention since his impeachment, while Chávez was released on bail before later requesting asylum at the Mexican ambassador’s residence. Peruvian authorities are currently assessing Mexico’s request for safe passage for her.
Lima has since severed diplomatic relations with Mexico, accusing it of interfering in its internal affairs by granting Chávez asylum. Prosecutors are seeking a 25-year prison sentence for Chávez, alleging she played a role in Castillo’s plan, while they are pushing for a 34-year sentence for Castillo himself.
Along with issuing the international arrest warrant, Friday’s court ruling also ordered five months of pretrial detention for Chávez once she is apprehended.
