Peru escalated tensions with Mexico on Friday evening by announcing it was permanently withdrawing its ambassador to the North American nation over its support for ousted former president Pedro Castillo.
(Bloomberg) — Peru escalated tensions with Mexico on Friday evening by announcing it was permanently withdrawing its ambassador to the North American nation over its support for ousted former president Pedro Castillo.
President Dina Boluarte rejected Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s comments on the Peruvian political crisis and said he violates the principle of international law on non-interference in internal affairs. “Mr. Lopez has decided to support the coup of former President Pedro Castillo,” she said on state television.
AMLO, as the Mexican president is known, and Boluarte have been at odds since she took over last December.
The Mexican president granted asylum to Castillo’s family and has said he was the victim of a “coup.” Leftist Castillo was ousted and arrested in December after illegally trying to dissolve congress in order to rule by decree.
AMLO met with Castillo’s wife Lilia Paredes at Mexico’s National Palace Thursday and Friday he called Boluarte a “spurious president,” saying he has seen polls in which she only has 15% approval. Last week, Boluarte said Mexico has refused to hand over the presidency of the Pacific Alliance to Peru.
Peru had also previously declared Mexico’s ambassador to the Andean nation as persona non grata.
The country is facing a political crisis since Castillo’s arrest, with fading protests demanding Boluarte’s resignation and asking early presidential elections, a decision on which congress has failed to reach an agreement. Despite protests left more than 50 dead and hit the country’s economy, Boluarte has ruled out resigning.
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