Peru Orders Mexico Ambassador to Leave the Country After Asylum Is Granted to Family of Ex-Peruvian President Pedro Castillo

Peru is in the middle of a political crisis after the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo. The country is now in a diplomatic row with Mexico after the Mexican government granted asylum to the deposed president.

On Tuesday, Peru declared Mexico's ambassador, Pablo Monroy, in Lima "persona non grata" and gave the diplomat 72 hours to leave the country, Reuters reported.

According to the Associated Press, Monroy has already been instructed to return to Mexico, but Mexico's embassy in Peru would remain open and operate normally.

Mexico, Other Latin American Countries Express Concern For Deposed Peru's President

The decision to kick out the Mexican ambassador came hours after Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) commented on the situation in Peru.

The Peruvian foreign ministry stated that these comments were "unacceptable interference in internal affairs" and were a "clear violation of the principle of non-intervention."

AMLO had been very critical of Pedro Castillo's impeachment and removal, saying the former president was a victim of "harassment" from "his adversaries, especially the economic and political elites of that country."

CNN reported that the governments of Colombia, Argentina, and Bolivia echoed AMLO's concerns. The four governments released a joint statement last week about their concerns over Castillo's fate. They said he was a victim of "undemocratic harassment" since he was elected last year.

AMLO has also said that Castillo's removal from office was improper, even though the former president tried to dissolve the Peruvian congress.

This act led to Peruvian lawmakers ousting Castillo in a historic and overwhelming vote and placing him under arrest. He is now under investigation and is accused of trying to usurp power in violation of the country's constitutional order.

Peru's Former President's Family Seeking Asylum in Mexico's Embassy

The trouble escalated when Mexico announced Tuesday that it had granted asylum to the family of the ousted Peruvian president. Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard admitted to offering the Pedro Castillo family asylum at the Mexican embassy in Lima.

He did not identify which family members were in the embassy, but Peru's Foreign Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi Diaz said they were Castillo's wife, Lilia Paredes, and two children.

The former First Lady was under criminal investigation in Peru, where corruption allegations had reportedly plagued her husband's administration.

The Peruvian government said it would allow the Castillo family to leave for Mexico but could later demand Mexico to extradite Paredes if she eventually faces any charges in Peru.

Since Castillo's removal, Peru has been rocked by massive protests from the former president's supporters. Castillo has a huge support base from some of the country's poorest sectors. Castillo is facing rebellion charges from behind bars after attempting what his critics labeled a coup on December 7.

Peru is now in the middle of a political crisis, and the government has announced that they plan to hold the elections early to defuse the political unrest gripping the entire South American country.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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