The government rejected Peru’s declaration of persona non grata against President Claudia Sheinbaum, considering that it is “motivated by false statements.”
The Foreign Ministry defended that the decision to grant political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, who was on trial alongside former leftist President Pedro Castillo for the failed 2022 coup attempt, was made in compliance with the international legal framework applicable to both countries.
“Mexico reiterates that the granting of political asylum to citizen Betssy Betzabet Chávez Chino was decided in strict accordance with the international law applicable on the matter, which is binding for both Mexico and Peru,” it said in a note.
The government recalled that the UN General Assembly has declared that political asylum “is a peaceful and humanitarian act, which cannot be considered unfriendly by any other State.”
Continue reading: Congress of Peru declares President Claudia Sheinbaum persona ‘non grata’
He denied having intervened “in any way in the internal affairs of Peru,” in accordance with the “normative principles of foreign policy” in Mexico “and its solid diplomatic tradition.”
The statement occurs in response to the declaration of persona non grata to Sheinbaum, approved today by the Peruvian Congress, due to the “unacceptable interference” of the president of Mexico “in the internal affairs of Peru”, after having granted political asylum to Chávez.
The declaration, approved with 63 votes in favor, also mentions Sheinbaum’s “offense” to the Peruvian democratic system after the criticism made of the Peruvian leaders who succeeded Castillo, in preventive detention since the day of the attempted coup d’état in Barbadillo, the prison for former Peruvian presidents.
On October 8, the Foreign Relations Commission of the Peruvian Parliament had already approved a first opinion to declare Sheinbaum as persona non grata after having received the Argentine lawyer Guido Croxatto, who is leading Castillo’s international defense, and repeatedly expressing his support for Castillo to ask that he be released.
The Mexican government announced on Monday that Betssy Chávez was in its embassy in Lima and that it had granted her political asylum from the trial for the frustrated coup d’état, with requests by the Prosecutor’s Office for sentences of 34 years in prison for the former president and 25 years for the former prime minister.
This led the Peruvian government to announce on Monday that it was breaking diplomatic relations with Mexico, which had already been operating without ambassadors since the beginning of 2023 as Mexico did not recognize the legitimacy of the government of former president Dina Boluarte, who replaced Castillo after his arrest and dismissal.
With information from EFE
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