On Friday, President Dina Boluarte announced the “definitive recall” of Peru’s envoy to Mexico, citing Mexico’s continued support of ousted leader Pedro Castillo.
Boluarte has been the target of weeks of anti-government protests across the Andean nation demanding her ouster since Castillo was impeached and then arrested for attempting to dissolve parliament and rule by decree in December.
Leftist allies in Latin America, including Mexico, have criticized Castillo’s removal, resulting in a diplomatic dispute.
On Friday Boluarte denounced the “unacceptable” interference in the “internal affairs” of Peru by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
“I have ordered the definitive recall of our ambassador to Mexico,” Boluarte said in a televised address.
“In this way, diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico are formally reduced to the level of charge d’affaires.”
Her announcement comes the same day Lopez Obrador reiterated that “Mexico will continue to support (Castillo) who was unjustly and illegally removed from office”.
“I strongly reject the remarks made today by the president of Mexico on Peru’s internal affairs and his repeated unacceptable questioning of the constitutional and democratic origins of my government,” Boluarte said.
She added that Lopez Obrador has “decided to support the coup d’etat carried out by the now former president Pedro Castillo on December 7, 2022”.
Along with the leftist leaders of Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia, Lopez Obrador has been one of Castillo’s most ardent advocates abroad.
At the end of December, Peru had already expelled the Mexican ambassador after Mexico had given Castillo’s wife and two boys political asylum.
Since unrest started on December 7 as a result of his impeachment and arrest, at least 48 people have died in clashes between security personnel and demonstrators.
The demonstrations are driven by poor southern, Indigenous Peruvians who perceive Castillo — who is also from humble origins and has Indigenous roots — as an ally in their fight against poverty, racism and inequality.
