Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called on Peru’s Congress to reconsider allowing Peruvian President Pedro Castillo to travel to Mexico after the lower house denied him permission last week.
Asked for his opinion on the Peruvian Parliament’s refusal to allow the Andean country’s president to attend the handover to Peru of the ‘Pro Tempore’ Presidency of the Pacific Alliance in Mexico, López Obrador said that it is «an act of humiliation» and that it is not the way the Congress should behave.
«Hopefully this attitude will change, because that would be another option, that they grant him permission and we hold the meeting in Mexico (…) That could be another option, that the issue is dealt with again -I say this respectfully- in the Peruvian Congress and with great responsibility it is resolved», said the Mexican president in a joint press conference with his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric.
López Obrador stressed the impossibility of handing over the baton of the Pacific Alliance to Peru, now presided over by Mexico, if the Peruvian head of state cannot attend the meeting, assuring that the Peruvian Parliament has respected «an institutional agreement, of State, of nations».
«I consider that it is not the way, it is not the way you should behave with a government. It is to participate in an act of humiliation and we are not accomplices of those who want to impose themselves through politicking, dignity must be above all», added the Mexican president.
«How are we going to have a Pacific Alliance in Mexico without the President of Peru! It is like saying: The show must go on, or we don’t care, it doesn’t concern us, and that he participates by videoconference. No, we cannot admit that. It is a lot of arrogance not to give permission to a legal president, legitimately constituted, to attend a formal meeting in another country, where he is going to receive the Presidency of the alliance of several countries of the Pacific», he added.
In this sense, López Obrador remarked that it is not a matter of politicians or rulers, but it has to do with the peoples of the countries that make up the Pacific Alliance.
He also expressed his conviction that «the Peruvian brothers» are interested in improving relations with Mexico, Chile and Colombia, as well as with all the countries of the continent and the world.
«I would be reproached in Mexico if I do not go to an invitation that has to do with the development of the country, with the benefits for the people of Mexico, nothing else because of political or ideological interests», the Mexican president reiterated.
The Mexican president and the Chilean president met this Wednesday in Mexico City after the suspension of the Pacific Alliance summit -scheduled for this week in the same city- due to the absence of the Peruvian president, Pedro Castillo, after the Andean Parliament denied him permission to travel.
According to article 102 of the Peruvian Constitution, the Congress has among its attributions «to authorize the President of the Republic to leave the country», which is why Castillo has to request permission every time he wants to travel out of the country.
The Executive of Castillo has expressed its opposition to the resolutions of the Parliament, as it considers that every time the president is prohibited from attending an international meeting, it does not harm the president, «but the foreign and humanitarian policy that is sought to strengthen with the cooperation».
