LIMA: Peru’s Congress voted to declare Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata on Thursday, after her country granted asylum to a former Peruvian prime minister on trial for allegedly aiding a 2022 coup attempt. The two Latin American countries have had strained diplomatic relations for years, but tensions rose on Monday when Mexico granted asylum to ex-PM Betssy Chavez, prompting Peru to break off formal ties. Chavez was Peru’s prime minister in December 2022 when then-president Pedro Castillo was ousted for trying to dissolve Congress following a months-long standoff.

Peru is severing diplomatic relations with Mexico over its granting of diplomatic asylum to a former prime minister accused of being involved in a coup attempt in 2022.

El Congreso aprueba la medida al considerar que la cabeza del Ejecutivo mexicano tuvo una “inaceptable injerencia” en los asuntos internos peruanos