Chile receives the presidency of the Pacific Alliance after the refusal of the transfer of Mexico to Peru

The diplomatic authorities of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru met in Santiago de Chile to define the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance, in June 2023@Minrel_Chile (RR SS)

Chile received on Wednesday the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance, a diplomatic and commercial integration organization in Latin America that brings together four countries in the region: Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile. Santiago will take command of the entity for a month, clearing the doubts that arose after the strong tension led by Mexico, which refused to transfer the command to Lima for political reasons.

Following an agreement between the member nations of the alliance, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena handed over command to her Chilean counterpart, Alberto van Klaveren. Renzo Villa Prado, charge d'affaires of Peru in Chile, also participated in the ceremony held this morning at the Chilean Foreign Ministry in downtown Santiago. It is precisely this country that will receive the presidency in another month, time in which the Chilean extraordinary period will come to an end.

"Chile exercised its good offices with friendly countries, with Mexico and also with Peru, and temporarily took over the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance," explained Minister Van Klaveren, who stressed that his country agreed to the deal "with a spirit of brotherhood with the countries and also with the consent of all the members of the alliance."

The Chilean foreign minister explained: "We have always recognized the right that corresponds to Peru to exercise the pro tempore presidency and it is in that spirit that we decided to act as intermediaries to resolve this situation." In addition, he highlighted the willingness of Mexicans to complete the transfer, and said that "the four countries remain committed to the future of the alliance." "We believe, indeed, that we can continue to advance in the project, to continue advancing to achieve the free movement of goods, services, capital and also of people," said President Gabriel Boric's Foreign Minister.

The handover of temporary command to Chile implies the closure of a complex episode starring Mexico and Peru, countries that maintain a distant relationship since the failed self-coup led by Peruvian President Pedro Castillo. The Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has expressed his rejection of the Lima provisional government led by Dina Boluarte, in a conflict that splashed the multilateral organization.

Lima was supposed to receive the presidency of the Pacific Alliance in January, but Mexican diplomacy did not finalize the procedure. "I don't want to hand over to a government that I consider spurious. I don't want to legitimize a coup," Lopez Obrador said.

The defense of the Mexican government focused from the beginning on the fact that Castillo had been a victim of harassment during his term and that his dismissal was due to the interests of the economic and political elites of the Andean country. "It was a blow of conservatism, of the bosses who, like the conservatives of Mexico, are classist, racist and very corrupt," said the president of the North American nation, who months ago had offered his support to the Castillo government against, he said, "conservative rage."

López Obrador's endorsement of Peru's deposed former president was concretized with an offer of asylum for him and his family. The action only materialized with the former Peruvian first lady, Lidia Paredes, because Castillo was arrested after his failed political maneuver.

The Boluarte Administration has repudiated the position of the Government of Mexico, carrying out various actions such as expelling the Mexican ambassador to Peru, Pablo Monroy; definitively withdraw his counterpart in Mexico, Manuel Talavera Espina and, with it, reduce relations between both nations to chargés d'affaires. The Peruvian Congress voted a motion to express its annoyance at the "constant and unacceptable acts of interference in internal affairs" of López Obrador and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who have expressed their opinion on the political crisis that drags the South American nation.