It’s not every week that diplomatic drama unfolds so publicly between two Latin American powerhouses, but this November, the world’s attention has turned to the mounting tensions between Peru and Mexico. The heart of the dispute? Political asylum, accusations of interference, and a battle over international law that’s left embassies guarded and relations in tatters.
On November 3, 2025, Peru’s interim President José Jerí announced his government was severing diplomatic relations with Mexico. The move, reported by multiple outlets including Reuters, BBC, and AP, came after Mexico granted political asylum to Betssy Chávez, the former Peruvian Prime Minister accused of participating in the 2022 attempted coup led by then-President Pedro Castillo. Chávez, who denies any involvement in plans to dissolve Congress, has been holed up in the Mexican embassy in Lima, shielded by Mexican authorities as legal and political tempers flare.
The Peruvian government’s stance was clear and forceful. On X (formerly Twitter), the official account of Peru’s presidency declared, "The Government of Peru has decided to break diplomatic relations with Mexico, due to the repeated occasions on which the Mexican government intervened in the internal affairs of our nation." President José Jerí followed up with a personal message: "Respect our homeland! Due to the breakdown in diplomatic relations, the head of the Mexican embassy in Peru, Karla Ornela, was informed today by the foreign minister that she has a strict deadline to leave our country." (El Comercio).
This wasn’t an isolated spat. The rift is just the latest in a series of high-profile diplomatic confrontations between the two countries. Tensions first boiled over in late 2022, when Mexico’s then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador openly criticized the removal of Pedro Castillo, a progressive leader whose ouster led to deadly protests and widespread unrest. Mexico’s government, led by the MORENA party, granted asylum to Castillo’s wife and children, who faced money laundering charges in Peru—charges they have consistently rejected as politically motivated. In response, Peru expelled the Mexican ambassador, setting a precedent for the current diplomatic freeze.
Fast-forward to November 2025: with Chávez facing a possible 25-year prison sentence for her alleged role in the failed coup, Mexico’s decision to grant her asylum reignited old wounds. Peru’s Congress wasted little time. On November 6, lawmakers declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata—effectively unwelcome in Peru—with a vote tally of 63 in favor, 34 against, and two abstentions (AP, Bloomberg, BBC). The congressional motion accused Sheinbaum of maintaining a hostile posture toward Peru since taking office in 2024, particularly by backing Castillo and his supporters. Some right-wing congressmen even hurled accusations of alleged ties to drug trafficking (though, as BBC noted, no evidence was provided).
In the midst of the political back-and-forth, the practical fate of Betssy Chávez hangs in the balance. As of November 6, Peru’s Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela told Reuters that legal experts were urgently reviewing the "1954 Caracas Convention" (also referenced as the Cartagena Convention), which Mexico cited to justify its asylum decision. "It's an analysis we've asked to be done quickly, but with the necessary care to do it well," de Zela explained, emphasizing that a final decision on whether to grant Chávez safe passage to Mexico would come by week’s end. In the meantime, Chávez remains in diplomatic limbo, protected but unable to leave Peruvian territory.
For its part, Mexico has stood its ground. President Claudia Sheinbaum, also of MORENA, lamented Peru’s decision as "completely disproportionate," adding, "It is a decision that they have made." The Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry doubled down, insisting in a statement that "Mexico has not intervened in any way in Peru's internal affairs," and that the asylum grant to Chávez was "in compliance with international law." The ministry called Peru’s response "excessive and disproportionate in response to a legitimate act by Mexico consistent with international law, which in no way constitutes intervention in Peru’s internal affairs."
Yet, the Peruvian side remains deeply skeptical. Foreign Minister de Zela argued, "Mexico has constructed a kind of parallel reality where there is a political persecution that does not exist." He also pointed out that, despite the diplomatic freeze, both countries are working to minimize the impact on their robust economic partnership. As members of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc, Peru and Mexico share significant commercial and tourism ties—bilateral trade topped $2.5 billion in 2024, according to Reuters.
The broader context only adds layers to the standoff. The legitimacy of Peru’s government itself has been under question since the removal of Pedro Castillo in 2022, with analysts predicting ongoing instability for President José Jerí’s administration. Previous president Dina Boluarte, who replaced Castillo, was also ousted by Congress in October 2025 amid rising crime, further fueling the country’s political volatility (AP). Against this backdrop, Mexico’s MORENA governments have repeatedly voiced support for left-leaning leaders in Latin America whom they see as victims of "lawfare"—the use of legal charges to sideline political opponents. This isn’t unique to Peru; Mexico has also offered asylum to figures like Ecuador’s former Vice President Jorge Glas, though in that case, a police raid prevented his transfer to Mexico.
Inside Peru, the debate has been fierce and deeply polarized. Congress President Fernando Rospigliosi, after the vote to declare Sheinbaum persona non grata, said, "We support the government that has broken relations with Mexico." He also indicated that Parliament would consider barring Chávez from holding any public office in the future. Meanwhile, the government’s official line is that these steps are part of a broader effort to preserve national sovereignty and uphold the country’s constitutional order. As Foreign Minister de Zela put it, "We are interested in having good relations with all countries in the region... provided it is clearly understood that there cannot be interference in internal affairs."
But what about the human angle? For Betssy Chávez, the uncertainty is palpable. Arrested in June 2023, released on bail in September 2025, and now facing the prospect of a quarter-century behind bars, she’s become a symbol—depending on whom you ask—of either political persecution or due process in action. As of this writing, she remains inside the Mexican embassy, her fate tied to the outcome of legal reviews and the unpredictable tides of regional politics.
For now, the world waits to see whether Peru will grant Chávez safe passage, whether economic ties will withstand the diplomatic chill, and whether this episode marks a turning point in Latin American relations—or just another chapter in a long history of political intrigue and international brinkmanship.
