Mexican leader calls Peru’s president ‘a puppet’ of oligarchs

MEXICO CITY

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte a “puppet” subservient to foreign and national oligarchs during his morning press conference Monday.

Lopez Obrador's accusation stems from Boluarte's decision last week to recall Peru’s ambassador to Mexico, Manuel Gerardo Talavera, over alleged "political interference" carried out by Lopez Obrador, who has remained steadfast in his support of ousted Peruvian President Pedro Castillo.

"We do not accept the farce of the removal of President Pedro Castillo because the will of the people of Peru was not respected, democracy was trampled upon, and a great injustice was committed by removing him from office and imprisoning him and then establishing a de facto authoritarian, repressive government, and we do not agree with that," said Lopez Obrador.

Since Castillo's impeachment by Congress and arrest for corruption and rebellion charges, Lopez Obrador has refused to recognize Boluarte as Castillo's legitimate successor and has condemned her government as being authoritarian and undemocratic.

Lopez Obrador said that at its core, Castillo's fall and Boluarte's rise to power was for the benefit of oligarchs, especially a “foreign oligarchy” looking to loot Peru's natural resources such as gas and strategic minerals, "and they need to have a puppet, a wimp, a ruler, and a Congress as well."

Castillo's ouster and Boluarte's ascendency to the presidency sparked mass outrage in Peru, with demonstrators demanding her resignation and new elections. In response, her administration tried to enforce order through confrontations with the police, which resulted in the deaths of at least 60 protesters.