The former premier Betssy Chavezwho was Chief of Staff during the Pedro Castillo government, continues to stay at the residence of the Mexican Embassy in Lima while she waits for the safe conduct to be issued that allows her to travel to the Latin American country as an asylum seeker.
In statements given to the international network CNN, the president of Peru, José Jerí, confirmed that the decision will be made on Friday, November 7.
The president specified that the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be decisive in defining whether the document is issued or not.
“I think we have shown that the breaking of diplomatic relations responds precisely to a criterion that we have had. But in this case, safe conduct, we are going to define it strictly with the Foreign Ministry’s recommendation that in these coming days, surely on Friday, we will have the definitive position,” said the head of state.
Jerí pointed out that, beyond his personal position, he will abide by the technical and legal evaluation of the Foreign Ministry, as well as the international commitments that Peru maintains in terms of asylum and refuge.
This statement occurs in a context of diplomatic tensions between Lima and Mexico City, after the Peruvian Government decided to break formal relations after considering that Mexico intervened in internal affairs.
Relations with Mexico and the Castillo case
The president recalled that the discrepancies with Mexico have worsened since the arrest of Pedro Castillo after the attempt to close Congress in December 2022 and the subsequent statements by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador regarding the Peruvian political situation.
“We also did not agree when it was expressed regarding internal affairs of our country and we have maintained cordiality as far as possible. We have cut diplomatic relations, but there is still a principle of reality between both countries.
Finally, the Foreign Ministry will continue and at the consular level we will maintain the initiatives sustained over time,” Jerí explained.
Jerí defends his presence in the streets
During the interview, the president was also consulted about his repeated appearances in police and military operations, as well as the state of emergency declared in Lima and Callao. Jerí defended his actions, arguing that he received a country hit by citizen insecurity.
“What we are doing is putting the highest political authority on the streets. We are deploying an effort rarely seen in an articulated manner, from all levels of government. In other states of emergency in our country, only the political authorities, ministries and police chiefs have been seen on the streets, not the highest authority,” he noted.
