Peru ousts Mexican Ambassador as Mexico grants asylum to Pedro Castillo

Amid political unrest in Peru, the Mexican ambassador has been ordered to leave within 72 hours by Peru officials, after Castillo's family was granted asylum by Mexico. Recently, Pedro Castillo was removed from office after he tried to dissolve Congress and has been under investigation in Peru under charges of conspiracy and corruption.

Amid these tensions, Mexico had come forward in support of the ousted former Peruvian president and had considered him for asylum, reported BBC. The Mexican government has been negotiating safe passage for the family of Castillo, who has been staying at Mexico's embassy in Lima, said Marcelo Ebrard Mexican Foreign Minister on Tuesday, reported BBC. 

Peru angry about Mexican asylum

Peru's foreign minister, Ana Cecilia Gervasi said, "Safe passage had been granted." But at the same time, the Mexican asylum has made the Peru officials angrier about the situation. And Mexican Ambassador Pablo Monroy has now been declared "persona non grata" by the government.

Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru wrote a series of tweets that declared Mexican Ambassador Pablo Monroy as "persona non grata", and claimed that Monroy has violated the principle of non-intervention. Further, the tweet said that the Mexican Ambesssedor has been asked to leave the national territory within 72 hours.

While talking about the Mexican ambassador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru also wrote, "This decision is based on the relevant provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

Mexico has been accused of  "sheltering the corrupt" by Maria del Carmen Alva, a Peruvian opposition legislator, reported BBC. Moreover, Peru's Congress has tentatively endorsed a plan to hold early elections in an attempt to defuse the political unrest that has erupted after the impeachment of Castillo. The proposal, approved by 91 of the legislature’s 130 members, would be pushed to hold elections in April 2024 for president and congress originally scheduled for 2026, reported AP.