Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Peru Puts Mexico’s Safe-Conduct Request on Hold, Blocking Betssy Chávez’s Exit

Peru will seek urgent OAS consultations to pursue changes to the 1954 Caracas Convention, arguing recent diplomatic asylums have misclassified common crimes as political persecution.

Overview

  • President José Jerí said the government will not rule now on Mexico’s request and that, without the safe-conduct, Chávez cannot travel to Mexico for as long as Peru determines.
  • Peru’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it is conducting a legal review and will decide after urgent consultations with OAS members on its proposal to revise the regional asylum framework.
  • Mexico granted Chávez diplomatic asylum and she remains in the Mexican Embassy in Lima, as Peru has severed diplomatic relations and Congress declared President Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata.
  • Criminal proceedings against Chávez continue in Peru over the 2022 attempt to dissolve Congress, with prosecutors seeking lengthy prison terms including a 25-year request cited by the Public Ministry.
  • Former foreign ministers and legal experts offered conflicting readings of the Caracas Convention, with some saying Peru must issue the safe-conduct and others calling Mexico’s asylum decision unlawful.