In a recent rift, the coup regime of Peru, headed by President Dina Boluarte, ordered the ‘definitive withdrawal’ of the country’s ambassador to Colombia, Felix Ricardo Americo Antonio Denegri Boza, on Thursday, March 30th. This decision came after Colombian President Gustavo Petro had criticised the alleged human rights abuses in the post-coup d’etat Peru, the news agency Kawsachun News reported.
Earlier, a vote in Congress in the last month declared Petro a ‘persona non grata’ (An unwelcome person) over his critical remarks on the alleged human rights abuse in Peru. The resolution implies that Petro would not be able to enter the national territory of Peru. A similar resolution was passed for the same reason against the former President of Bolivia, Evo Morales.
During his speech at the recently concluded 28th Ibero-American Summit, Petro commented on the Peruvian coup which ousted the elected President Pedro Castillo and lamented the latter’s absence at the summit. Petro alluded to Castillo’s allegedly illegal detainment by the Peruvian force after the coup d’etat.
Notably, during a period of political turmoil in Peru, Castillo was impeached and ousted after he had attempted to dissolve the congress in 2022. After that, Boluarte took the presidency with overwhelming support from the country’s right-wing bloc and formed a civilian-military regime.
Before Peru withdrew its ambassador from Colombia, it severed diplomatic relationships with various Latin American countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, etc., with which the country had long enjoyed good relations.
Peru’s decision to withdraw its ambassador from Colombia coincided with the allegation against the regime using excessive force on the dissenters, which reportedly made the regime deeply unpopular among the Peruvians.