Chronology of the diplomatic crisis between Peru and Mexico: consequences of drastic measures

The socio-political crisis that Peru life since December of last year is getting worse, even at the diplomatic level. This time, the Peruvian government has officially weakened its relations with Mexico after the constant interference of the president Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) in the internal affairs of the country and that it is constantly about the management of To Boluartewhere in less than three months there have been 60 deaths, an unprecedented number in democratic times.

The rope was stretched almost to breaking point after AMLO calling Boluarte Zegarra a “false” president.

“I’ve seen polls where the ‘fake president’ has 15% acceptance. 85% disapprove, but Congress and lawmakers have even less approval. They have 90% rejection and even so they govern with bayonets,” he said in his last statement on Peru, on the morning of February 24.

Given this, the Peruvian President, accompanied by the President of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otarolaand the chancellor Ana GervasiBoluarte rejected López Obrador’s statements and announced the withdrawal of Peru’s ambassador to Mexico, Gerardo Talavera Espinar.

“The Mister Lopez decided to support the coup led by former President Pedro Castillo on December 7, 2022, the same one that generated the unanimous rejection of the institutions that make up the democratic order in Peru and the decision of the Congress of the Republic to release him to office with the vote of 101 of his 130 parliamentarians,” the president said.

The ace tensions between Peru there Mexico started after former president Pedro Castillo He led a self-coup in early December 2022 and was later charged with the crime of rebellion after trying to shut down Congress. From AMLO He said he defended it, although he also spoke of the human rights violations that the Boluarte regime is committing through the repression that the police and the armed forces are carrying out against the demonstrators.

In this regard, internationalist Oscar Vidarte said he was surprised by the mess of Mexican foreign policy. “AMLO says what it wants, saying untenable things that compromise Mexico, regardless of law or diplomatic logic,” he said via his Twitter account.

“The President of Mexico can criticize the antidemocratic actions of the Peruvian right in Congress, he can question the human rights violations resulting from the actions of the current government, but defend Castillo and ignore that he committed an attempt to coup is unacceptable.” , expressed after the decision of the Boluarte government.

One of the first statements of Lopez Obrador It happened in mid-December, after Castillo fell. Then the Mexican dignitary affirmed that it was about the president and that “the will of the people who elected him must be respected, recognizing that he won democratically and that he cannot be removed from office”, not thus tacitly recognizing Dina Boluarte as president.

already then the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairsin command of Ana Gervasi, accused him of interference. Action that has also been repeated with the Colombian, Chilean and Honduran governments, with which the country’s diplomatic relations are weakened.

At that time AMLO defended the performance of the Mexican Ambassador to Peru, Paul Monroywho held meetings with Castillo in prison to find a way out of his request for political asylum.

Although Mexico ruled out the withdrawal of its ambassador in Lima, the Boluartino government disagreed, so on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, it declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata and gave him an ultimatum of 72 hours to leave the country. interference.

This climate of tensions was exacerbated after, the following day, Lilia Paredes, the former first lady, arrived in Mexico with her two minor children, amid accusations of alleged membership in a criminal organization entrenched in the Palace of the government and led by her husband Pedro Castillo. .

“There is no political persecution”, said the Chancellor in this regard Ana Gervasi in a competition without the possibility of questions. At the same time, he warned that at any time, Peru can request Paredes’ extradition if it demands it.

Precisely, shortly before this latest diplomatic tension, the Mexican President met lilia paredes at the National Palace of Mexico. “She is an exceptional, humble, good woman, who came to thank me for what we have done with them, to tell me about her children, who are studying. We try that they lack nothing, help them. She asks us not to abandon her husband,” she said.

The recent diplomatic flare-up was born when Lopez Obrador refused to cede the presidency of the Pacific Alliance to Peru.

In November, the Alliance meeting was expected in Mexico City to carry out the ceremony during which, AMLO He will deliver the banner of the regional alliance to Peru, but the Peruvian Congress does not authorize Pedro Castillo’s trip.

“I don’t want to hand over to a government that I consider to be fallacious. I do not want to legitimize a coup d’etat, it is contrary to freedoms, human rights and it is anti-democratic”, warned the Mexican leader during a morning conference. “I will charge the Ministry of External Relations (SRE) to inform the members of the Rio Group about what we are doing. Let the members of the group decide,” he added.

What happens then with the relations between Mexico and Peru?

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackay, former Minister of Foreign Relations in the government of Pedro Castilloexplained that this action does not mean the severance of diplomatic relations with Mexico.

“I see, on social networks, that they are talking about a break in diplomatic relations. This has not happened, what Peru has done is lower the level of the bicentenary political-diplomatic relations with Mexico; that is, from an extraordinary and plenipotentiary level of ambassadors up to a trade commission. To have done it diplomatically means a gesture of protest,” he told local media.