Ex-President Pedro Castillo’s wife, Lilia Paredes, and their two children arrived in Mexico City today, after seeking asylum at the Mexican embassy in Lima last week.
Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Foreign Relations secretary, posted a photo of the family on Twitter with the message “Lilia Paredes, Alonso and Alondra Castillo at the Mexico City Airport on their arrival from Lima, Peru.”
Safe conduct for the journey was granted by Peru’s Foreign Relations minister, Ana Cecilia Gervasi, following the protocol for diplomatic asylum in the 1954 Caracas Convention.
According to America TV, Paredes has travelled with other family members, though not with her younger sister, Yenifer, who is under travel restrictions during an investigation for lobbying for government contracts via shell companies owned by family members. Lilia Paredes is also under investigation for alleged money laundering in her home territory in the north and northeast sierra.
Two weeks ago, shortly after announcing the temporary closing of Congress and Congress’ decision to vote for his impeachment, Castillo left the government palace and was en route to the Mexican embassy when he was arrested on charges of rebelion and breaking constitutitonal order. He is being held for 18 months in pretrial custody at the police special operations division in east Lima where ex-President Alberto Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses. Unlike Castillo’s attempt, Fujimori staged a successful autocoup in 1992 with the full backing of the police and armed forces.
Mexico’s president, Manuel Lopez Obrador, has been openly supportive of Castillo’s government and sharply critical of Castillo’s impeachment and arrest.
Peru’s response to Lopez Obrador’s continuing criticism was to declare Mexico’s ambassador, Pablo Monroy, persona non grata and to order him to leave the country within 72 hours.
