Peru cuts diplomatic ties after ex-PM flees to Mexican embassy
Peru has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Mexico after former Prime Minister Betssy Chavez sought asylum at the Mexican embassy in Lima, Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela announced, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
De Zela said Peruvian authorities learned earlier in the day that Chavez, who served under ousted President Pedro Castillo, had fled to the embassy.
“In response to this unfriendly act, and taking into account the repeated occasions in which the current and former presidents of that country have interfered in the internal affairs of Peru, the Peruvian government has decided today to break diplomatic relations with Mexico,” De Zela told journalists.
Mexico’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Chavez faces criminal charges for her alleged involvement in Castillo’s attempt to dissolve Congress in late 2022 — a move that led to his ouster and ongoing detention. She had been imprisoned since June 2023 but was released by a judge in September pending trial.
Her lawyer, Raul Noblecilla, said he had not heard from her for several days and could not confirm whether she had formally requested asylum.
Chavez’s driver previously testified that she asked him to take her to the Mexican embassy on the day Castillo tried to dissolve Congress, though Chavez has denied attempting to reach the embassy at that time or having prior knowledge of Castillo’s plan.
Prosecutors have requested a 25-year prison sentence for Chavez if convicted.
Similar news
