Diplomatic Rift: Peru and Mexico in Asylum Standoff

Peru's government is poised to make a decision this week about granting safe passage to Mexico for opposition politician Betssy Chavez, currently residing in the Mexican embassy in Lima, according to Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela. This situation arises amidst heightened tensions between the two nations.

Peru severed diplomatic ties with Mexico after the latter offered asylum to Chavez, the country's last prime minister under ousted President Pedro Castillo, now incarcerated. De Zela indicated that legal experts are urgently reviewing the 1954 Caracas Convention, which Mexico cited in justifying its asylum decision, with an outcome expected by week's end.

Chavez, accused of conspiracy related to Castillo's attempted congressional dissolution in 2022, faces a possible 25-year prison sentence. Despite these diplomatic frictions, Peru and Mexico are keen to maintain their economic ties, which are significant within the Pacific Alliance trade bloc.