The Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, accused Mexico of not wanting to hand over the leadership of the Pacific Alliance, due to the political support of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the imprisoned former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo.
“(López Obrador) for continuing to support the former President (Castillo), who carried out the coup, does not want to give us the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance,” said Boluarte.
“(Peru) should have assumed the pro tempore presidency in January (currently in the hands of Mexico). The President of Mexico is harming the peoples that comprise the Pacific Alliance (regional bloc made up of both countries as well as Chile and Colombia).”
López Obrador has expressed his support for former President Castillo, who on December 7, when he was about to face an impeachment vote by Congress, decided to announce that he was dissolving the Legislature and would govern by decree.
A few hours after this, Congress dismissed him and appointed Boluarte, then Vice President, as constitutional Mandatory.
That same day, the ousted ex-President was arrested when he tried to reach the Mexican Embassy, and a judge ordered him 18-month preventive detention for rebellion.
His wife, Lilia Paredes, did reach the Mexican diplomatic headquarters, whose Government granted her and their two children asylum status, for which Lima asked the Mexican Ambassador to withdraw from the country.
Castillo’s dismissal unleashed a wave of demonstrations, sometimes violent, that has left 48 civilians dead in clashes. The mobilizations demand the resignation of Boluarte and general elections.
Castillo has also received the support of the Presidents Gustavo Petro, Alberto Fernández and Luis Arce of Colombia, Argentina and Bolivia, respectively, which caused Lima to call its Ambassadors in those countries for consultations in January.
