On November 4, 2025, the already tense relationship between Mexico and Peru reached a breaking point as Peru’s government, under President Jose Jeri, announced the formal severance of diplomatic relations with Mexico. The move came swiftly after Mexico granted political asylum to Betssy Chavez, a former Peruvian prime minister accused of rebellion and conspiracy for her alleged involvement in ex-president Pedro Castillo’s failed attempt to dissolve Congress in December 2022. As Chavez took refuge inside the Mexican embassy in Lima, the diplomatic fallout escalated into one of Latin America’s most high-profile rifts in recent years, revealing deep ideological divides and raising new questions about the role of diplomatic asylum in the region.
Peru’s Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela did not mince words when announcing the decision. "Today we learned with surprise and deep regret that former prime minister Betssy Chávez, the alleged co-author of the coup d’état attempted by former president Pedro Castillo, is being granted asylum at the residence of the Mexican Embassy in Peru," de Zela told journalists, according to Mexico News Daily. He continued, "In response to this unfriendly act, and taking into account the repeated occasions in which the current and former presidents of that country have interfered in the internal affairs of Peru, the Peruvian government has decided today to break diplomatic relations with Mexico."
This rupture did not come out of the blue. Tensions between the two countries had been simmering since December 2022, when Pedro Castillo, a leftist former teacher and union leader, attempted to dissolve the Peruvian Congress and establish an emergency government. His move—widely condemned as an attempted self-coup—was met with immediate resistance from Congress, the armed forces, and large segments of Peruvian society. Castillo was arrested while reportedly attempting to seek asylum at the Mexican embassy, and Vice President Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency that same day. However, the political crisis only deepened, leading to mass protests and, eventually, Boluarte’s own ouster less than a month ago, paving the way for Jeri’s rise to the presidency.
Betssy Chavez, who served as prime minister during Castillo’s embattled administration, became a focal point in the ongoing turmoil. Peruvian prosecutors accuse her of being an accomplice in the crime of rebellion against the state, seeking a 25-year prison sentence. After being imprisoned in June 2023, Chavez was released by a judge in September 2025 while her trial was ongoing. She has denied knowing about Castillo’s plan to dissolve the legislature, but her legal troubles continued to mount. Facing what she and her supporters describe as political persecution, Chavez formally requested asylum from Mexico. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on November 4 that Chavez had entered the Mexican embassy in Lima and was being granted asylum, stating, "This minister was imprisoned, she was released, and decided to seek asylum in Mexico. Here in Mexico, her request was evaluated as all such requests are evaluated, and she entered the Mexican Embassy in Peru, where she remains to this day."
Peru’s leadership, however, viewed the asylum as a direct affront. Foreign Minister de Zela labeled Mexico’s decision an "unfriendly act" and accused the Mexican government of repeated interference in Peru’s internal affairs. President Jeri backed these statements, expelling Mexico’s chargée d’affaires, Karla Ornelas, and ordering her to leave Peru within a short deadline. The Peruvian government made it clear that only consular relations would remain, effectively freezing all high-level dialogue and cooperation.
The diplomatic spat is rooted not just in recent events, but in a longer history of ideological friction and disputes over the principle of nonintervention. Mexico’s support for Castillo and his family after his removal in 2022—when then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador granted asylum to Castillo’s wife and children—had already infuriated Lima. Peru accused Mexico of political meddling, especially as Mexican leaders, including Sheinbaum, openly questioned the legitimacy of Castillo’s successors. Sheinbaum, for instance, has called Castillo the victim of a "coup" and demanded his release and a fair trial, further straining relations.
Mexico, for its part, has stood firm in its defense of the right to asylum, invoking the Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum. Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) stated, "Mexico granted diplomatic asylum to Chávez in full accordance with international law," adding, "According to the Caracas Convention, the only party empowered to assess the nature of the persecution against asylum applicants is the asylum-granting State, Mexico in this case." The SRE further argued, "Mexico reaffirms that, as recognized by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the granting of asylum cannot be considered an unfriendly act by any other State."
Claudia Sheinbaum, speaking at her daily press briefing, described Peru’s reaction as "completely out of proportion," but acknowledged that it was a sovereign decision. She emphasized that trade and other bilateral relations would continue, noting, "The Mexican Embassy in Lima had asked the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the decision and was told that only the diplomatic relationship was being severed, and not the consular one." Both countries remain members of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc, along with Chile and Colombia.
This is not the first time Mexico has found itself embroiled in a diplomatic crisis over asylum. In April 2024, Mexico broke off relations with Ecuador after Ecuadorian police stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito to detain former vice president Jorge Glas, who had been promised asylum by Mexico. The episode with Peru now leaves Mexico without diplomatic ties to two South American countries, underlining the region’s persistent ideological divides.
The Peruvian government, meanwhile, has painted Mexico’s actions as a violation of its sovereignty and a political maneuver to shield allies accused of undermining democracy. De Zela asserted, "They have tried to portray those responsible for the attempted coup d’état as victims, when the reality is that we Peruvians live in a democracy, as recognized by all countries in the world—with the sole and lonely exception of Mexico." The government also pointed to a pattern of diplomatic friction, including previous declarations of ambassadors as persona non grata and ongoing tensions within the Pacific Alliance.
For ordinary citizens and businesses, the immediate impact may be limited, as consular and trade relations remain in place. Yet, the rupture signals a broader trend of fragmentation in Latin America, where governments’ ideological allegiances increasingly shape foreign policy decisions. The episode has reignited debate over the limits of diplomatic asylum, especially when it intersects with high-profile criminal prosecutions and political instability.
As the dust settles, both sides are watching closely to see whether this rupture will be temporary or the start of a prolonged standoff. For now, the case of Betssy Chavez stands as a stark reminder of the enduring power—and peril—of political asylum in shaping the destinies of nations and individuals alike.
