Lima: Peru has declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a ‘persona non grata,’ effectively barring her from entering the country, escalating a growing diplomatic dispute between the two nations.
The move comes just days after Peru severed diplomatic ties with Mexico, following Mexico’s decision to grant political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez.
Peru’s Congress voted 63 to 34 in favor of the measure, which symbolically prohibits Sheinbaum’s entry. The declaration of ‘persona non grata,’ typically reserved for foreign diplomats, is widely viewed as a diplomatic rebuke toward Mexico’s government.
According to El País, Fernando Rospigliosi, President of Peru’s Congress, said the resolution was intended to demonstrate support for the Peruvian government’s stance and its recent decision to cut relations with Mexico.
Political asylum in Mexico
The diplomatic standoff began earlier in the week after Betssy Chavez, who served briefly as Prime Minister under former President Pedro Castillo, fled to the Mexican embassy in Lima seeking political asylum. Chavez faces trial for her alleged role in Castillo’s 2022 attempt to dissolve Congress, an action widely denounced as a coup attempt.
Peru’s Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela condemned Mexico’s decision to shelter Chavez, calling it an ‘unfriendly act’ and an ‘interference in Peru’s internal affairs.’ Meanwhile, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has defended its actions, insisting they comply with international law and “in no way constitute an intervention in Peru’s domestic matters.”
As of now, Lima has not granted safe passage for Chavez to leave the Mexican embassy and travel to Mexico. The former prime minister, who also served as Peru’s culture minister, faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Chavez has denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot.
The former PM was detained between June 2023 and September 2024, after which she was released on bail pending trial. The case remains a key point of contention between the two countries as the diplomatic fallout continues to deepen. President Sheinbaum reaffirmed that Mexico’s actions comply with international law and defended her government’s stance amid rising tensions with Peru.
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