Peru on the 6th (local time) designated Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum as a "persona non grata." Persona non grata means "an unwelcome person," a diplomatic term for an individual shunned by the host country.
Peru's Congress introduced and passed a motion at a plenary session that day designating President Sheinbaum as a persona non grata. Peru Congress President Fernando Rospigliosi said, "We decided to declare the president of Mexico a diplomatic persona non grata for interfering in Peru's internal affairs to an unacceptable degree." According to local media, the motion passed with 63 votes in favor, 34 against and 2 abstentions out of 99 members present. Lawmaker Ernesto Bustamante, who led the motion, said, "Peru has maintained a foreign policy based on the principles of mutual respect and noninterference," and criticized, "President Sheinbaum provided refuge to a person (former Prime Minister Chávez) indicted for crimes related to the 2022 coup attempt."
The episode began when Mexico accepted the asylum request of former Peru Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, 36. In Dec. 2022, then-Peru President Pedro Castillo, facing impeachment, dissolved Congress himself and tried to establish an emergency government. Peru has a precedent from 1992, when President Alberto Fujimori ruled for nearly 10 years using this method. Chávez served as president of the Council of Ministers, equivalent to prime minister, when President Castillo attempted a self-coup.
However, the attempt failed because it did not secure military support. Instead, as Congress moved to impeach, President Castillo and Chávez were ousted from power side by side. Soon after, Peru's prosecutors identified the two as key figures in the self-coup and immediately indicted them on charges of rebellion and conspiracy.
Chávez was sentenced to 25 years in prison and was detained in June 2023. After serving 2 years and 3 months, she was released in September by a Constitutional Court decision. While awaiting trial without detention, Chávez recently entered the Mexican Embassy in Lima and was granted asylum. She is reportedly still staying inside the Mexican Embassy because the Peruvian government has not issued a "safe-conduct pass" based on diplomatic agreements.
The Peruvian government reacted immediately as soon as news of Chávez's asylum became known. On the 3rd, Peru officially declared a severance of diplomatic relations with Mexico. The Mexican Embassy in Lima withdrew its ambassador and senior staff and temporarily closed. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugo de Zela said at a news conference, "Mexico's decision is an unfriendly act," and added, "Diplomatic asylum is a system to protect those who face political persecution, not those who committed ordinary crimes (such as rebellion)." The Peruvian presidential office also issued a statement criticizing that "the Mexican government is repeatedly interfering in Peru's internal affairs."
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico expressed regret, saying, "We allowed asylum to the former Peruvian prime minister in accordance with international law," and, "Peru's unilateral decision to cut ties is excessive and disproportionate."
The two countries are not historically adversaries. They have maintained normal friendship for more than 200 years since establishing diplomatic relations in 1823. In 2012, they also signed a free trade agreement (FTA). Even now, as members of the Pacific Alliance (AP; Alianza del Pacífico), a major trade bloc in Latin America, they conduct annual trade worth $2.6 billion (about 3.8 trillion won).
Mexico is Peru's No. 3 trading partner in Latin America after Brazil and Chile. As of 2023, the cumulative amount invested in Peru by Mexican corporations exceeds $16 billion (about 21 trillion won). Major Mexican corporations such as América Móvil (telecommunications), Cinépolis (cinemas), FEMSA, Grupo Bimbo (food), Grupo México (mining), and Oxxo (convenience stores) have established a presence across Peru's domestic industries.
Experts assessed that the ideological confrontation that began right after Castillo's ouster in Dec. 2022 has surfaced only after three years. The Sheinbaum administration shares the leftist ideology carried over from former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Former President Obrador consistently defended the ousted left-leaning President Castillo throughout his term. When President Castillo was arrested in Dec. 2022, Mexico also accepted asylum for his wife Lilia Paredes and other family members. Even then, Peru expressed displeasure by expelling the Mexican ambassador. Former President Obrador is likewise currently designated a persona non grata by the Peruvian government and is unable to enter Peru.