Peru Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Mexico Over Asylum for Ex–Prime Minister Betssy Chávez

Overview

• Peru announced the break on Nov. 3 after Mexico granted Chávez refuge at its embassy residence in Lima.
• Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela cited repeated interference by Mexico’s current and former leaders as justification for the decision.
• Mexico’s Foreign Ministry rejected Peru’s move as disproportionate and argued the asylum does not constitute intervention.
• Chávez has been prosecuted since March 2025 over alleged co‑authorship of Pedro Castillo’s failed 2022 bid to dissolve Congress, with prosecutors seeking about 25 years in prison.
• She remains free pending trial, while Castillo has been in preventive detention since December 2022, as Peru navigates a wider security crisis under a 30‑day state of emergency.