PERU.- The plenary session of Congress Peru approved this Thursday to declare the president of Mexico persona non grata, Claudia Sheinbaumfor his “unacceptable interference in internal affairs of Peru“, after having granted political asylum to the former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Cháveztried alongside the leftist former president Pedro Castillo for the failed coup attempt of 2022.
The declaration of persona non grata for Claudia Sheinbaum, approved with 63 votes in favor, also mentions his offense to the Peruvian democratic system after the criticism made of the Peruvian leaders who succeeded Castillo, in preventive detention since the day of the attempted coup d’état in Barbadillo, the prison for former Peruvian presidents.
On October 8, the Foreign Relations Committee of the Peruvian Parliament had already approved a first opinion to declare Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata upon receiving the Argentine lawyer Guido Croxattowhich leads Castillo’s international defense. As well as for repeatedly expressing his support for Castillo to ask for his release.
However, until now there had not been a vote this motion in the plenary session of the Legislature since one day after the first opinion President Dina Boluarte was dismissedand was immediately replaced on an interim basis by the president of the same Congress that removed her from power, the right-wing José Jerí.
The motion was taken up again by the congressmen regarding the asylum granted to Betssy Chávez.
The president in charge of Congress, the Fujimori Fernando Rospigliositold journalists that it has been clearly established that there is interference in the words and statements of Claudia Sheinbaum, which “discredit the Peruvian nation,” in addition to the recent asylum granted to Betssy Chávez, who is being prosecuted for a “common crime.”
🚨With 65 votes in favor, 40 against and 2 abstentions, the Congress of Peru declares the president persona non grata @lopezobrador_ pic.twitter.com/UxoiQcuYbQ
— Manuel Lopez San Martin (@MLopezSanMartin) May 25, 2023
Betssy Chávez remains at the residence of the Mexican embassy in Lima waiting to receive safe passage from the Peruvian government to be able to leave the country, while the Peruvian Foreign Ministry reported this week that it is evaluating the granting of that document with its legal department.
“Es unacceptable that the Government of Mexico provides asylum to this type of people“added Rospigliosi, of the Fujimori Popular Force partymentioning that Castillo’s wife, Lilia Paredes, also received asylum from the former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador after the failed coup attempt in December 2022.
The head of Parliament recalled that Castillo also “fled and tried to take refuge in the Mexican embassy” in Lima, after giving the message to the nation in which he announced the failed coup attempt, but that his bodyguards detained him on that route.
Rospigliosi said, on behalf of Parliament, that they support the position of the government, which has broken diplomatic relations with Mexico over the asylum granted to Castillo’s former prime minister.
Likewise, he pointed out that on Friday the Board of Directors of Congress will discuss the final report that recommends constitutionally denouncing and disqualifying Betssy Chávez from holding public office.
On Wednesday, the interim president of Peru, José Jerí, told CNN in brief statements that the Executive continues to evaluate granting safe passage and estimated that this Friday the Andean country’s final position on this issue will probably be known.
Mexico grants political asylum to Betssy Chávez
The Government of President Sheinbaum announced on Monday that Betssy Chávez was in its embassy in Lima and that it had granted her political asylum from the trial for the frustrated coup d’état, with requests for sentences by the Prosecutor’s Office of 34 years in prison for the former president and 25 years for the former prime minister.
This led the Peruvian Government to announce on Monday that it was breaking diplomatic relations with Mexico, which had already been operating without ambassadors since the beginning of 2023 as Mexico did not recognize the legitimacy of the Government of former President Dina Boluarte, who replaced Castillo after his arrest and dismissal.
READ: Peru breaks relations with Mexico for granting asylum to Betssy Chávez; what will happen and how it affects