Pedro Castillo: Mexico considers asylum for Peru's ex-president

Mexico is considering granting asylum to Peru's former president Pedro Castillo, who was impeached on Wednesday, Mexico's foreign minister has said.

Mr Castillo is in custody in Peru and is likely facing charges of rebellion.

Mr Castillo's lawyer wrote to Mexico's president late on Wednesday to request asylum for Mr Castillo.

The two countries are discussing the request, Mexico's foreign minister said on Thursday.

Marcelo Ebrard also said that Mexico's ambassador to Peru had met Mr Castillo.

Facing an impeachment vote by the opposition-controlled Congress on Wednesday, Mr Castillo announced he was dissolving the legislative body.

Congress defied him, voted overwhelmingly to remove him from office and his bodyguards stopped him from seeking refuge at an embassy.

Just hours after impeaching Mr Castillo, Congress swore in his vice-president, Dina Boluarte, as the new president.

In a letter to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent on Wednesday, Mr Castillo's lawyer requested he "consider granting asylum ... in the face of the unfounded persecution of justice bodies".

"They intend to prosecute him for mere announcements of will or intention that do not constitute any criminal offence," the letter added.

According to Mr Ebrard, the Mexican ambassador to Peru, Pablo Monroy, met Mr Castillo in Lima, the Peruvian capital.

"He found [Mr Castillo] physically well and in the company of his lawyer," he said.

Ms Boluarte, was Mr Castillo's running mate in the 2021 election, quickly distanced herself from him on Wednesday when he tried to dissolve Congress, a move she said was an "attempted coup".

Speaking after being sworn in, she urged Peruvians to come together for "national unity" and asked for a "truce" to allow her to fight corruption.