Mexico and Peru restore ties after Betssy Chavez asylum row

Mexico and Peru announced Friday that they had restored diplomatic ties after a months-long rupture over Mexico's asylum offer to former Peruvian prime minister Betssy Chavez.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Chavez was being flown to Mexico aboard a Mexican military plane after the government of newly inaugurated Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori granted her safe passage as a gesture of “goodwill.” Peru's Foreign Minister Carlos Espa said Chavez's journey to Mexico took place in “security and calm.”

The two governments said in a joint statement that they were resuming relations because of the historic bonds of brotherhood, friendship and cooperation between their countries.

Relations had been strained since Pedro Castillo was removed as Peru's president in December 2022 after attempting to dissolve Congress. Castillo was arrested on his way to the Mexican embassy to seek asylum. He and Chavez, his prime minister at the time, faced charges of plotting a coup over the attempted dissolution of Congress.

Chavez was later released on bail and sought asylum at the Mexican embassy in November 2025, prompting a diplomatic dispute that included Peru's Congress voting to declare Sheinbaum persona non grata.

Castillo is serving a prison sentence of more than 11 years, which Mexico continues to dispute. Sheinbaum said Mexico would continue defending Castillo but described Friday's reconciliation as “a step.” Fujimori, who narrowly won a runoff election in June and took office in late July, had said she hoped to mend ties with Mexico.