Andrés Manuel López Obrador during his morning conference this Thursday. Sashenka Gutierrez (EFE)
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has escalated his diplomatic dispute with Peru, whose government led by Dina Boluarte he does not recognize as legitimate following the deposition and imprisonment of former President Pedro Castillo. López Obrador announced this Thursday that he will not participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), which this year will technically be chaired by Peru. The multilateral meeting of the region’s major economies will take place in San Francisco, USA. The president has not made it clear whether he will send a representative from the Mexican government in his place or whether the country’s absence will be absolute. “I won’t take part in it [cumbre] from San Francisco, because we have no relations with Peru, it is about looking at the Asia-Pacific region and, with all due respect, we do not want to be involved in that, [aunque] “President Joe Biden sent me to invite him,” the president said in his morning conference.
López Obrador said that while he would not attend that economic forum, an official visit to Washington in November to discuss multilateral issues on migration, drug trafficking and trade with President Biden remains on schedule. “Mexico is growing rapidly and is the United States’ most important trading partner, and we care deeply about this relationship,” he clarified. He has also indicated he will attend the North American Leaders Summit in Canada in January. López Obrador added that he had invited Biden to Mexico to tour a gas liquefaction plant being built in Altamira, Tamaulipas, by the Federal Electricity Commission and a US company; Additionally, he added, he wants Biden to be aware of two of his administration’s flagship projects: the Transisthmian Train and the Mayan Train.
López Obrador’s review of the diplomatic obligations he will fulfill has only highlighted his distancing from Boluarte. In his conference, the Mexican president once again mentioned the anecdote that during his recent visit to Colombia and Chile he asked that the plane that transported him – one of the army – not be allowed to fly through Peruvian airspace. “Why are we exposing ourselves to scandal? “So we decided to turn back,” he indicated.
López Obrador added that, despite the differences, his government had no intention of denying Boluarte access to Mexican airspace. “While I was there, I learned that the Peruvian government had requested to transit through our airspace because the president wanted to travel to the United Nations. […] They asked me my opinion and I said yes, and that I would also make a technical stop, I also said yes,” he said, immediately taking the opportunity to take a political stand on the situation of former President Castillo. imprisoned after trying to dissolve Congress: “Of course we want Pedro Castillo to be released because the corrupt oligarchy of Peru has unjustly imprisoned him,” he said.
López Obrador’s absence from APEC was just the latest opportunity to express his disagreement with Boluarte. Earlier this year, the Mexican president did not want to transfer the presidency of the Pacific Alliance to Peru, the country to which it belonged. López Obrador remained in command of the Latin American organ while he waited for Castillo’s fate to be resolved favorably. “I don’t want to give up a government that I think is inauthentic. “I don’t want to legitimize a coup,” he said at the time. In the end, the conflict was resolved bureaucratically: Mexico transferred the presidency of the alliance to Chile and this to Peru.
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