Mexico Grants Asylum To Peru's Ousted-President Pedro Castillo's Family: Report

Diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico continue to be fraught after the ouster of Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo, as Mexico approved the asylum request for his family on Tuesday. Peru asked Mexico’s ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours.

Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced that the family of ousted President Castillo, who is currently in detention for at least 18 months for alleged rebellion and conspiracy, has been granted asylum by the Mexican government, according to CNN.

Lilia Paredes and her children are reportedly residing in Mexico’s embassy in Lima since the ouster of her husband. Peru’s government has reportedly accused her of corruption and coordinating a criminal network with her husband, charges which the family’s previous representation has denied.

Hours after Mexico announced granting of asylum to Castillo’s family, Mexican Ambassador to Peru Pablo Monroy was declared “persona non grata” by the Peruvian government for “repeated statements from the highest authorities of that country regarding the political situation in Peru,” giving the ambassador 72 hours to leave the country, Reuters reported.

The Mexican government has said that despite orders for Monroy to leave Peru, that the embassy of Mexico will continue to operate as normal. Peru’s Foreign Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi has also announced afterwards that Paredes and her children will be allowed safe passage out of Peru and into Mexico, the Associated Press reported.

The relationship between Peru and Mexico has become fraught since the ouster of Castillo from the Presidency by Peru’s Congress. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been very critical of Castillo’s impeachment and ouster, and Mexico was one of the four Latin American countries who released a statement regarding their concerns over Castillo’s ouster being “undemocratic harassment.”

The ouster of Castillo has also initiated intense protests against the government of newly-installed President Dina Boluarte, calling for her to resign as well as for the release of Castillo and for moving up the elections so that the people can elect a new Congress to replace the current controversial one.

The government recently declared a state of emergency to deal with the protesters, and over 26 protesters have died and hundreds injured in the past few weeks.