Peru has broken off diplomatic relations with Mexico after the Mexican government granted asylum to former Peruvian prime minister Betssy Chávez, who is facing criminal charges over her alleged role in a failed 2022 coup attempt.

Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela said he learned with “surprise and deep regret” that Chávez was being sheltered at the Mexican embassy in Lima. He described the decision as an “unfriendly act” and announced the immediate severing of diplomatic relations, accusing Mexico of persistent interference in Peru’s internal affairs.

“The truth is they have tried to portray the authors of the coup attempt as victims, when in reality Peruvians live and want to continue living in democracy,” de Zela said. “This has been recognised by all countries in the world, with the sole exception of Mexico.”

Mexico’s foreign ministry responded by calling Peru’s decision “excessive and disproportionate.” The dispute marks the latest escalation in a diplomatic feud that has simmered since the downfall of former president Pedro Castillo in December 2022.

Chávez, who served as prime minister during Castillo’s brief tenure, was arrested in 2023 and charged with rebellion and conspiracy. Prosecutors allege she supported Castillo’s attempt to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government. She was released on bail in September and has denied the accusations. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison.

Castillo’s own attempt to disband Congress led to his swift removal from office and arrest. Prosecutors are seeking a 34-year sentence, accusing him of rebellion and abuse of power. He has maintained that he never took up arms against the state, claiming the military refused to carry out his orders.

Relations between Lima and Mexico have deteriorated steadily since Castillo’s ouster. In 2022, Peru expelled Mexico’s ambassador after Mexico granted asylum to Castillo’s wife and children. Months later, Peru recalled its own ambassador when President Andrés Manuel López Obrador publicly criticised Castillo’s removal as “illegal.”

Castillo, a former rural teacher and trade union leader, was Peru’s first president from a working-class background. Elected as a political outsider promising to fight inequality, his presidency quickly descended into turmoil, culminating in his attempt to seize power.

The fallout from that crisis continues to destabilise Peru’s fragile political landscape. Former president Dina Boluarte, who succeeded Castillo, was ousted last month after mass protests over corruption scandals and rising crime. Congress leader José Jeri has since been sworn in as interim president, inheriting a country mired in deep political division and diplomatic isolation.

By I. Constantin