Peru congress declares Mexican president ‘persona non grata’

Peru’s Congress has voted to declare Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as persona non grata – or unwelcome in the country.

The decision comes days after Peru severed diplomatic ties with Mexico, after the Mexican government granted asylum to a former Peruvian prime minister facing charges for a 2022 coup attempt.

Betssy Chávez denies allegations that she played a role in ousted Peruvian President Pedro Castillo’s plan to dissolve congress. She has taken refuge in the Mexican embassy in Lima.

Mexico says it has offered Chávez asylum in accordance with international law, and rejected Peru’s accusation that it was an “unfriendly act”.

The declaration – passed in a 63-33 vote in the Peruvian Congress – marks the latest escalation in worsening ties between the two Latin American nations.

During the vote, Peruvian legislators also accused the Mexican leader of having close ties to drug trafficking – a claim they gave no evidence for.

Chávez had been imprisoned in June 2023 over her alleged role in Castillo’s plan to dissolve Peru’s legislative body. She was released by a judge on bail in September and has denied the charges against her.

Prosecutors are seeking a 25-year sentence for Chávez.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela told the Reuters news agency that legal experts were reviewing the 1954 Caracas Convention on diplomatic asylum, which Mexico used to justify their offer of asylum.

Earlier this week, de Zela said Mexico had tried to “portray the authors of the coup attempt as victims”.

“In reality, Peruvians live and want to continue living in democracy, as recognised by all countries in the world, with the sole and lonely exception of Mexico,” he added.

Peru also accused Mexico of “repeated instances in which the current and former presidents of that country have interfered in Peru’s internal affairs”.

In 2022, Lima expelled Mexico’s ambassador following its decision to grant asylum to Castillo’s wife and children following his arrest.

Last September, the Foreign Relations Committee of Peru’s Congress proposed declaring Sheinbaum a persona non grata for failing to condemn Castillo’s attempted coup and advocating for his release.