Politics

Peru’s president withdraws ambassador to Mexico over López Obrador comments

Lima Feb 24 (EFE).- Peru’s president on Friday withdrew the country’s ambassador to Mexico in response to comments by her Mexican counterpart, whom she accused of interfering in the Lima government’s internal affairs and supporting its former leader’s “coup d’état.”

“I have ordered the definitive withdrawal of our ambassador in the United Mexican States and, in this way, diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico are formally at the level of business managers,” Dina Boluarte said in a televised speech.

Boluarte “strongly” rejected Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s statements “on Peru’s internal affairs.”

“Mr López has decided to support the coup d’état carried out by the now former president Pedro Castillo on December 7, 2022, which led to a unanimous rejection by the institutions that make up the democratic order in Peru and the decision of the Congress of the Republic to remove him from office with the vote of 101 of its 130 parliamentarians,” she added.

She claimed that López Obrador “has decided to seriously affect the relations of mutual respect, friendship, cooperation and the desire for integration that have historically united Peru and Mexico” and that benefit both peoples, such as the Pacific Alliance.

“With his statements, Mr Lopez violates the principle of international law about non-interference in internal affairs, as well as those referring to the defense and promotion of democracy,” she added.

On Friday, the Mexican ruler reiterated his solidarity with Lilia Paredes, Castillo’s wife, after meeting with her at the National Palace on Thursday.

López Obrador said that Mexico will continue to support Castillo, who he claimed was unjustly and illegally removed from the leadership and will continue to demand his release from jail.

He also condemned the death of about 60 people in the ongoing protests against the Boluarte government.

“I have seen polls where the spurious president has 15 percent acceptance – 85 percent disapprove. But Congress has even less approval, the deputies have 90 percent rejection. And even so, they rule with bayonets and with repression,” he said.

Finally, López Obrador claimed that behind the dismissal of Castillo there was “a lot of racism and classism” and that there are “many vested interests in Peru because it is a country with many natural resources and those natural resources are highly coveted by large transnational companies, supported by foreign governments.” EFE

pbc/tw

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