Peru Severs Diplomatic Ties with Mexico Following Asylum Grant to Ex-Prime Minister Chávez

The Peruvian government unilaterally severed diplomatic relations with Mexico on November 3, 2025, in a decisive move following Mexico's decision to grant political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez. The immediate fallout included the expulsion of the Mexican Chargé d'Affaires in Lima, Karla Ornela, who was given a strict departure deadline by Interim President José Jerí.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela characterized Mexico's asylum decision as a pronounced "unfriendly act," escalating tensions that have persisted since 2022. De Zela stated that the action, combined with "repeated instances in which the current and former presidents of that country have interfered in Peru's internal affairs," prompted the severing of ties. Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Relations countered this, expressing regret over Peru's move and asserting that granting asylum was a legitimate exercise of international law under the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, a treaty both nations signed. Mexico's Foreign Ministry deemed Peru's response "excessive and disproportionate."

The diplomatic schism is deeply rooted in the political upheaval following the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo in December 2022. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has maintained that Castillo's arrest was unjust and politically motivated, further suggesting discrimination based on his indigenous background. This friction intensified in 2022 when the Mexican government, under then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, refused to recognize Dina Boluarte as Castillo's legitimate successor. Authorities in Peru accuse Betssy Chávez, who served as Prime Minister, of being a co-author of the attempted self-coup in December 2022, with the Peruvian Attorney General's Office seeking a potential 25-year prison sentence for her alleged role.

Despite the diplomatic break, both governments indicated a commitment to maintaining active consular relations to ensure the safety of their respective nationals, suggesting a deliberate containment of the conflict to the diplomatic level. The economic relationship remains substantial, with bilateral trade reaching $2.507 billion in 2024. Agricultural goods formed a significant portion of this exchange, accounting for 49% of Peruvian exports to Mexico that year, even as Peru's total exports to Mexico, including items like Refined Copper, Grapes, and Onions, saw a year-on-year decrease of 45.9% in November 2024 compared to the prior year.