The Peruvian government has decided to end diplomatic relations with Mexico.
The matter was confirmed by Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela during a press conference held yesterday.
He stated that Betsy Chaves, a former Prime Minister under the Pedro Castillo administration who is on trial for an attempted coup in December 2022, was given protection in the residence of the Mexican Embassy in Lima.
The Peruvian government ended diplomatic relations with Mexico immediately following repeated interference by the current and former Mexican presidents in Peru's internal affairs.
Mexico defended the decision to grant protection to Betsy Chavez on the grounds of international law, while Peru described the action as 'interference' in internal affairs.
Diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico have actually been tense for several years. For example, in February 2023, Peru withdrew its ambassador to Mexico and lowered the level of diplomatic representation after the former Mexican president's open criticism of the Peruvian government.
Additionally, despite the complete severance of diplomatic relations, Peru clarified that consular relations, such as assisting citizens of both countries, will continue to be maintained so that Mexican and Peruvian citizens in their respective countries still have official channels.
The suspension of diplomatic relations is expected to have a short-term impact on political and cultural cooperation between Peru and Mexico, but the two countries will still maintain informal channels for future discussions.
