Peru has officially declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a “persona non grata,” barring her from entering the country just days after severing diplomatic ties with Mexico amid escalating political tensions.
The Peruvian Congress voted on Thursday with 63 votes in favor and 34 against to symbolically ban Sheinbaum, following Mexico’s decision to grant political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez, who had taken refuge in the Mexican Embassy in Lima.
The term “persona non grata” is typically used for foreign diplomats, requiring them to leave the host country. Fernando Rospigliosi, President of the Peruvian Congress, stated that this move was meant to support the government’s decision to cut ties with Mexico, according to El País.
During Thursday’s debate, Congressman Ernesto Bustamante accused Sheinbaum of having links to drug traffickers, saying:
“We cannot allow someone connected to drug dealers, who distracts her people from real issues, to interfere in Peru’s internal affairs.”
Betssy Chavez, currently facing trial for her alleged role in a 2022 attempted coup, sought asylum at the Mexican Embassy earlier this week. Peru’s Foreign Minister, Hugo de Zela, called Mexico’s decision an “unfriendly act” and an interference in domestic affairs.
In response, the Mexican Foreign Ministry defended its move as being in full compliance with international law, emphasizing that it does not constitute interference in another state’s internal matters.
So far, Peruvian authorities have not provided safe passage for Chavez to leave the embassy and travel to Mexico. The former Minister of Culture and interim Prime Minister under President Pedro Castillo faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted but denies all charges related to the alleged coup attempt.
