Peru orders Mexican ambassador to abandon the country within 72 hours after diplomat revealed the wife and children of ousted former President Castillo were awarded asylum
- Peru’s former First Lady Lillia Paredes and her two children traveled to Mexico on Wednesday, where they have been granted asylum
- They were joined by Mexico’s ambassador to the Andean nation, Pablo Monroy, who on Tuesday was given 72 hours to abandon the country
- Peru’s foreign minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi said the government considered Monroy ‘person-non-grata’
- The Peruvian government has accused Mexico in meddling in its internal affairs because of its support for former President Pedro Castillo
- Castillo was ousted from office December 7 after he attempted to dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote
The family of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo landed in Mexico City on Wednesday morning, just two weeks after he was forced out of office.
Former First Lady Lillia Paredes and her two children were joined early Wednesday by Mexican ambassador Pablo Monroy on a flight from Lima to the Mexican capital after they were granted asylum by the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
‘I inform you that Pedro Castillo’s family is already in Mexico City,’ Mexico foreign minister Mauricio Ebrard tweeted. ‘Our country has honored its tradition of asylum. I recognize Ambassador Pablo Monroy for the effectiveness of his efforts in complex circumstances.’
Their arrival came a day after Peru’s foreign minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi gave Monroy 72 hours to abandon the country in the latest episode of an ongoing spat between the two nations following López Obrador’s staunch support Castillo, a fellow leftist.
‘I inform that the Government of Peru has declared the Mexican ambassador in Peru, Pablo Monroy, persona non grata, due to the repeated expressions of the highest authorities of that country,’ Gervasi said in a statement.
Peru’s former First Lady Lillia Paredes (left) left on a flight to Mexico with her two children (pictured) and was accompanied by the Mexican ambassador to the Andean nation, Pablo Monroy, on Wednesday. The Mexican government confirmed that they have been granted asylum.
Pedro Castillo (pictured) was removed from office as president of Peru on December 7 after he tried to dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote. Castillo has received the support of fellow leftists governments in Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. He is currently in jail and could face up to 10 years in prison if he is found guilty of a rebellion charge
Gervasi added that Monroy’s behavior interfered ‘in our internal affairs and are in violation of the principle of non-intervention’ and that they would allow Castillo’s wife and children to leave for Mexico.
Castillo was ousted as president December 7 after he attempted to dissolve Congress with a looming impeachment vote.
Shortly after his attempt to dissolve Congress, Castillo himself tried to flee to the Mexican Embassy, but was detained by police before he arrived.
He is facing rebellion charges and could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if he is found guilty.
Paredes was allowed to leave the country despite facing an investigation for allegedly participating in a money laundering network that could also implicate Castillo.
López Obrador slammed the Peruvian government last week over the removal of Castillo as undemocratic and stressed that Castillo was still the Andean nation’s lawful leader.
Peru’s President Dina Boluarte (left) joined Alberto Otarola as he was sworn in as Prime Minister on Wednesday
Protests erupted after Castillo was voted out of power by lawmakers last week, following his attempt to dissolve Congress ahead of an impeachment vote
The Latin American leftist-led government of Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia joined Mexico last week in issuing a joint statement declaring Castillo the victim of ‘undemocratic harassment.’
Days later, the week-old government of President Dina Boluarte, who previously served as Castillo’s vice president, summoned Peru’s ambassadors back home for consultations on what she derided as unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Lawmakers on Tuesday backed Boluarte’s proposal for early elections – 93 were in favor and only 30 opposed. Elections would take place April 2024, two years ahead of elections currently scheduled for 2026.
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