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Mexico in talks with Peru to offer asylum to the country’s recently ousted president

Mexican leaders say they are working with Peruvian officials to offer their recently ousted president asylum.

Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo is seeking asylum in Mexico, after he was detained this week on charges of “rebellion and conspiracy.”

On Wednesday, Castillo announced he would dissolve the country’s Congress, which was debating his impeachment over corruption allegations, which he has denied.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Castillo called him to request asylum Wednesday, but was impeached and detained before reaching the Mexican embassy in Lima.

On Thursday, Castillo’s lawyer sent a letter to Mexican leaders again requesting political asylum for the impeached president, saying he is “at grave risk” and being unjustly persecuted.

Castillo remains in detention in Lima.

Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has touted Mexico’s willingness of offering political asylum. The country briefly hosted former Bolivian President Evo Morales in 2019, and has also offered asylum to Wikileak’s Founder Julian Assange.

Kendal Blust was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2018 to 2023.