Now it’s APEC: Why does López Obrador refuse to participate in the summit with Peru?

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obradorsaid this Thursday that he will not attend the APEC summit, scheduled for November in San Francisco (USA), because he does not wish to participate in the investiture of Peru as the venue for the forum in 2024.

“I am not going to attend the San Francisco (summit) because we do not have relations with Peru. And it is to see what is happening in Asia-Pacific and we do not want to participate in that, with all due respect.”said the leftist president in his usual morning conference.

The Peruvian government announced last week that it will receive the rotating presidency of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum from the United States during the San Francisco summit and that it will host this same event in November 2024.

López Obrador’s announcement confirms the deterioration of relations with the government of Dina Boluarte, who replaced former president Pedro Castillo last December, after he was arrested and imprisoned after trying to dissolve the Peruvian Congress and govern by decree, when he was close to face an impeachment trial.

Moments before the announcement, López Obrador reiterated his support for the ousted former president. “Of course we want Pedro Castillo to be released, since he has been unjustly imprisoned,” said the leftist president.

López Obrador has refused to recognize Boluarte as president, whom he calls a “usurper”, while his government granted asylum to Castillo’s family.

In response, Boluarte expelled the Mexican ambassador in Lima in December and the Peruvian Congress subsequently declared “persona non grata” to López Obrador.

Last February, the South American government withdrew its ambassador in Mexico, so the relationship is maintained at the level of chargé d’affaires.

Source: AFP