MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru's Congress declares AMLO “persona non grata”

López Obrador was accused of ignoring “the legitimate constitutional succession” of President Dina Boluarte

Peru's one-house Congress Thursday declared Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) a “persona non grata” on the grounds that “the Peruvian people do not accept acts of interference and meddling in our sovereignty,” it was reported in Lima.

 The decision with 65 votes in favor, 40 against, and 2 abstentions against AMLO was made for his repeated statements on Peru's internal affairs and for his refusal to transfer to the South American country the presidency of the Pacific Alliance.

The motion had been put forward on Monday by the Foreign Affairs Committee, whose Chairwoman Maria del Carmen Alva pointed out that Lopez Obrador's statements constitute a “violation of the principle of non-interference” in the internal affairs of other countries. “The Peruvian people do not accept acts of interference and meddling in our sovereignty,” she stressed.

After leftist parliamentarians rejected the proposal on the grounds that it would affect historical ties with the Mexican people, Alva responded that “this is a political gesture that Congress can make” and that “relations with Mexico have not been affected.”

”The only thing that is happening here is that the Mexican president is not recognizing our president (...) commercial and bilateral relations are never going to be affected,“ she said.

The Committee approved on Monday the motion of rejection to the statements of the president of Mexico and proposed to the plenary that he be declared persona non grata and that the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs be urged to ”take the necessary actions“ so that AMLO ”does not enter the national territory.“

López Obrador was accused of ignoring ”the legitimate constitutional succession“ of President Dina Boluarte and also failed to comply with the ”international obligation established in the framework agreement“ of the Pacific Alliance.

The Mexican leader last week described Boluarte as a ”usurper“ and said that she should leave ”the Presidency to the one who won in a free and democratic election, to Pedro Castillo“, who has been imprisoned since last Dec. 7 after attempting a coup d'état. AMLO insisted that Mexico will not hand over the Presidency of the Pacific Alliance to her ”because she is not legally and legitimately president of Peru.“

Peru's Foreign Minister Ana Cecilia Gervasi said that López Obrador and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have shown an ”attitude contrary to the principles and values that govern democratic coexistence.“

After the Congressional Committee's motion, AMLO said it would be an honor and a source of pride to be declared ”persona non grata” by the current Peruvian authorities.

In late February, the government of Peru announced the permanent withdrawal of its ambassador in Mexico and stated that the bilateral relationship was reduced to chargés d'affaires while Congress declared Petro and former Bolivian president Evo Morales persona non grata, in both cases for their criticism and public rejection of Boluarte's government.