Diplomatic tension: what does the recall of the Peruvian ambassador to Mexico mean and how will it affect our country

This morning, Saturday, through the Resolution of the Supreme Council 037-2023-RE, published in the Official Gazette of El Peruano, Ministry of Foreign Affairs terminated his duties Manuel Gerardo Talavera Espinar as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Peru to Mexico.

This diplomatic decision was announced last night by President Dina Boluarte in a short message to the nation.

“I have ordered the final dismissal of our ambassador to United States of Mexico and thus diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico are formally at the level of chargé d’affaires,” he said.

This decision, according to the head of state, was taken after Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) again made statements against the Peruvian government and in favor of the former president. Pedro Castillo.

“Mexico will continue to support the unfairly and illegally dismissed President (Castillo) and will continue to demand his release. He cannot be in prison, this is a great injustice,” he said yesterday at a press conference.

“I saw polls where the president false has 15% approval, 85% disapproves but has even less approval Congressdeputies have 90% of refusals,” he added.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the President of Mexico has spoken derogatoryly about the presidential administration. Dina Boluarteand this is not the first time that our country has taken diplomatic action in response to the actions AMLO.

On December 15, the executive branch convened the ambassadors Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia And Mexico as a result of the joint communiqué of the governments of these countries in support of the detained former President Castillo Terrones.

At that time the Chancellor Ana Cecilia Gervasi He described the statement as “intervention in Peru’s internal affairs” and emphasized that it was not in line with the “traditional bonds of friendship, cooperation and respect” between the countries.

Given the escalation of tensions with Mexico, it is worth asking, what does it mean that relations with this country remain at the level of a chargé d’affaires? How does this affect Peru? And, finally, can this situation be reversed?

Ramiro Escobar: “I don’t think we will cut off diplomatic relations”

International journalist and analyst Ramiro Escobar, in dialogue with RPP News, He explained that leaving the embassy with a charge d’affaires reduces the dialogue between the two countries.

“This means that relations are maintained at the trade and economic level, but communication is not maintained at the level of ambassadors, which is the maximum level of relations between the two countries. There is no ambassador here either. Mexico because he was expelled a few weeks ago. So it lowers the level of ties, which I find unfortunate because it’s a historic, close relationship that should be maintained,” he said.

However, he considered it unlikely that it would come to a severance of diplomatic relations between Peru And Mexico.

“Next is the break in diplomatic relations, but I don’t think we will get to the point where it happens in extreme cases, for example, in an armed conflict. I think we are far from it. office she is professional enough to prevent us from reaching this level (…) There are preventive diplomacy works that can prevent a further rise in temperature. (…) It should not go any further,” he said.

He also indicated that the final recall of our ambassador to Mexico was “a last resort.”

“The fact that we finally recall the ambassador, it seems to me, is an extreme measure that could be mediated by some previous, cautious diplomatic movements that would have reduced the level of tension. Especially when AMLO A few weeks ago, he said that this would not affect relations between Peru and Mexico,” he said.

Ramiro Escobar He also considered that the country, taking measures of this kind, runs the risk of “isolating” at the international level.

“We must avoid the risk of Peru becoming more isolated than it already is. In other words, he has a tendency towards isolation, which seems surprising to me and which has not been the case in recent decades under governments of various signs. I don’t remember a moment in recent diplomatic history when we distanced ourselves from Colombia, from Mexicofrom Bolivian (…) In addition, these are close countries, important neighbors,” he said.

In this sense, he believed that the foreign ministries of “both countries” should turn to the actions of professional diplomats to reduce existing tensions.

“Both countries, both foreign ministries, professional diplomats of both countries have to work hard and carefully so that this temperature drops, and we have restored this very important relationship. We cannot sever relations with a country that we have been close to for decades,” he said.

“There are things that you have to be responsible for at the diplomatic level (…), but you don’t need to add them, so that at some point we turn out to be something like a problematic country in the neighborhood (…) You have to find a balance between reciprocal words that may be offensive or disturbing, but keep important connections. It is the job of diplomacy (…) to find ways for this wave to subside,” he added.

Hugo de Zela: “AMLO violated several articles of the Democratic Charter of the OAS”

Former Ambassador and former Representative of Peru to the OAS, Hugo de Zelain dialogue with RPP Newsbelieved that the President Mexicoby his continuous statements against the government of Dina Boluarte, violated several articles Inter-American Democratic Charter of the OAS.

“Firstly, it violates Article 3, which establishes the obligation not to interfere in the affairs of another state. Also Article 17, which establishes the right of states to free and spontaneous development in their political life. Article 19 states that no State has the right, directly or indirectly and for any reason, to interfere in the internal affairs of another,” he explained.

The former ambassador emphasized that, in an attempt to retain the temporary chairmanship of the Pacific Alliance, AMLO it also violated Article 20 and Article 35 of the said Statute of the OAS.

“Article 20 states that no state may use coercive measures of an economic or political nature to coerce the sovereign will of another state (…) Article 35 concerns the obligation of states to refrain from policies, actions or measures that have adverse effects. for the development of other states. By retaining the chairmanship of the Pacific Alliance, the President of Mexico is detrimental to the activities of the Alliance and, therefore, harms the development of not only Peru, but also other member countries.

Given this breach, Zela Martinez believed that Peru could condemn Mexico before International Court of Justice in The Hague.

“The Charter (OAS) includes dispute resolution mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is precisely to be able to apply to the Hague court when a country rebels in compliance with its international obligations and, as we have noticed, Mexico participates in this rebellion,” he explained.

“This is a principle of great importance in international life, because it prevents the application of the law of the strongest in relations between states and is the norm that allows civilized relations between countries. That is what the president is attacking. from Mexico”, he stressed.

Eduardo Ponce de Vivanco: “Recall of an ambassador does not mean recall of consuls”

Eduardo Ponce de Vivancodiplomat and former Vice-Chancellor of the Republic, believed that Peruvians living in Mexico they will not be affected as long as the recall of the Peruvian ambassador does not mean a break in consular relations.

“The consulates are responsible for the shelter and protection of Peruvians abroad. Great, what has been done can be done, the ambassador is finally recalled, but relations remain at the consular level. consul He will not respond, he will respond only if there is a break in diplomatic and consular relations, ”he explained.

In turn, he considered that the only culprit for the current situation is the president. Mexico and agreed that our country can condemn him at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

“AMLO violates an important set of international standards that are part of the treaties signed by Mexico since Charter of the OAS, Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, international legal norms of mandatory compliance. Peru can build an excellent business before International Court of Justice in The Haguehe stressed.

“The President of Mexico (uses) offensive speech and based on lies, I think there is reason to demand this and at least it would have a deterrent effect,” he added.

He also pointed out that Peru he could directly take over the temporary chairmanship of the Pacific Alliance without the need for someone to hand it over, since he is authorized by the framework agreement of said international agreement.

“Framework agreement pacific alliance notes that the interim presidency rotates annually in alphabetical order. This framework agreement does not establish a procedure whereby whoever is president interim performs it. This is not a condition. The fact that someone who has one does not want to give it up does not mean that someone who has it according to the norm cannot use it,” he explained.

“Peru should be notified by diplomatic note to all members of the Alliance that it has accepted an interim chairmanship in accordance with the terms of the Pacific Alliance Framework Agreement,” he said.