Brazil said it has taken over Mexico’s diplomatic interests in Peru after a diplomatic rift that began over the asylum Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum granted to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.
Brazil’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it was “granting a request from the Mexican government” with the “consent of the Peruvian government.” It said Brazil would guard the Mexican embassy building, the residence of its head of mission, and the embassy’s assets and files.
Peru severed diplomatic relations with Mexico more than two months earlier to protest Sheinbaum’s asylum decision for Chávez, who had been granted asylum on Nov. 3. The asylum prompted a broader rupture between the governments, even as consular relations continued after Mexico’s diplomats withdrew in November.
A Peruvian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Saturday that Brazil had taken charge of the Mexican embassy after coordinating with local authorities, according to the AP report.
Earlier on Sunday, two officials at Brazil’s foreign ministry told AP on condition of anonymity that Brazil’s flag was flying over the building in Lima since the day before. Mexican authorities did not comment Sunday.
The AP report said Chávez, 36, has reportedly lived at the Mexican embassy since the asylum grant, with police outside the building seeking to arrest her if she leaves.
Chávez was convicted on charges of participating in an initiative linked to former President Pedro Castillo to dissolve Congress on Dec. 7, 2022, which ultimately led to Castillo’s removal from office. Peru has endured a long political crisis that has engulfed several of its leaders, the AP report said.
In the same context, Peru’s Congress declared Sheinbaum persona non grata and labeled the asylum given to Chávez an act of interference in its internal affairs, according to AP.