The Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, has informed this Thursday that she will call for consultations the Peruvian ambassadors in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico, whose governments in recent days have expressed their public support to former president Pedro Castillo, arrested and accused of rebellion.
Gervasi has alleged that the decision is motivated by «the interference» of «the highest authorities» of these countries in the internal affairs of Peru and comes just a day after he summoned the ambassadors of Mexico, Bolivia and Argentina and the chargé d’affaires of Venezuela in Peru for the same reason.
The new head of Foreign Affairs has pointed out that the declarations of the heads of state of these four countries questioning the «presidential succession carried out in strict compliance with the Constitution of Peru» do not coincide «with the traditional ties of friendship, cooperation and mutual respect» that unite them.
«Peru will continue to show its broad willingness to deepen the dialogue, always within the framework of mutual respect and the full validity of international law», Minister Gervasi remarked, reports the Andean news agency Andina.
Peru’s move comes in response to a letter signed this week by Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia, in which they expressed their «deep concern» over the events taking place in Peru, with Castillo still under provisional detention pending confirmation of a request by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to extend his imprisonment.
In this letter, they recall that «it is no news» that since his election, Castillo has been «victim of anti-democratic harassment», which violates all international laws. An idea that has been publicly expressed by other governments in the region, such as those of Honduras, Cuba and Venezuela.
«Our governments call on all the actors involved in the previous process to prioritize the will of the citizens that was pronounced at the ballot box» and refrain from «reversing the popular will expressed through free suffrage», claims this letter.
A week ago, Dina Bolurate, until then vice-president, took office as the first president in the history of Peru after the dismissal by the Congress and arrest of Castillo after unsuccessfully trying to dissolve the chamber and announce legislative elections to launch a new constitutional process to leave behind the Constitution inherited from Fujimorism.
