Pedro Castillo, the former president of Peru, during an April event in Cusco. Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Mexico’s government is in talks with Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo to grant asylum to the impeached leader who now faces criminal charges, Mexican officials confirmed.
The big picture: Castillo met with Mexico’s ambassador to Peru while in detention in Lima Thursday, per tweets from Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who shared a copy of Castillo’s legal request for asylum in the country that stated he was “at grave risk” in the Peruvian capital.
- Castillo made his first court appearance on Thursday and was ordered to remain detained for seven days while prosecutors investigate the case against him, per Reuters.
Context: Castillo was arrested Wednesday after he announced he was dissolving Congress as lawmakers debated whether to impeach him.
- The 53-year-old left-wing former school teacher faces criminal charges of “rebellion and conspiracy,” which he denies.
What they’re saying: In the letter to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Castillo’s lawyer wrote that he should consider granting the former president asylum “in the face of the unfounded persecution of justice bodies.”
- “They intend to prosecute him for mere announcements of will or intention that do not constitute any criminal offence,” the letter stated.
State of play: New Peruvian President Dina Doluarte, who was sworn in by Congress following Castillo’s impeachment, told reporters Thursday that while some were calling for early elections she intended to finish her term, AP reports.
- Castillo’s supporters held demonstrations against his ouster across the country on Thursday and police and protesters clashed during small-scale protests in some areas, where officers deployed tear gas, according to Reuters.
Go deeper: Dina Boluarte becomes Peru’s 1st woman president as Castillo arrested
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
