announced on Monday the severance of diplomatic relations with Mexico, after former
has taken asylum at the Mexican Embassy's residence in Lima.
"Today we have learned with surprise and profound dismay that former Prime Minister Betssy Chavez, alleged co-perpetrator of the coup that former President Pedro Castillo had attempted to carry out, is being granted asylum at the residence of the Mexican Embassy in Peru," De Zela stated at a press conference.
The government official announced that, in response to this act, which he deemed as unfriendly, the Peruvian Government has decided to break off diplomatic relations with Mexico.
The Peruvian minister clarified that breaking off diplomatic relations with that country does not mean severing consular relations.
"Consequently, our compatriots in Mexico will remain under the protection of our consuls in that country, just as Mexicans residing in Peru will remain under the protection of Mexican consular authorities in our country," De Zela explained.
At the press conference, the diplomat criticized the repeated occasions on which the current President and previous top official of Mexico have intervened in Peru's internal affairs.
"You will all recall that during the events of December 2022, the Mexican Government sought to construct a parallel reality regarding what had actually occurred on that date. A biased and ideologically driven version was disseminated," he indicated.
The Peruvian government official stated that there has been an attempt to portray the attempted coup perpetrators as victims, when the reality proves that Peruvians want to live in a democracy, "as recognized by all countries worldwide, with the sole and solitary exception of Mexico."
The minister also recalled that Mexico's President has made unacceptable and false statements claiming that Pedro Castillo is a politically persecuted person. The diplomat added that Claudia Sheinbaum now seeks to make the same claim regarding Chavez.
"These (Castillo and Chavez) are two individuals who are undergoing judicial proceedings with full guarantees," De Zela asserted.
"Lastly, I want to express my deep regret that the Mexican government persists in its wrongful and unacceptable imposition, which has reached the point of forcing us to break off diplomatic relations with a country with which, prior to these events, we had a fraternal relationship and many shared interests," he expressed.