CHILE temporarily took over the leadership of the Pacific Alliance following a diplomatic spat that saw Mexico refuse to give the rotating presidency of the alliance to Peru.
Alianza del Pacífico or the Pacific Alliance Trade Bloc is composed of Latin American countries Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico.
Peru was supposed to assume the bloc’s rotating presidency, but Mexico refused to hand it over, with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Labelling Peruvian President Dina Boluarte’s administration as ‘spurious’.
This resulted in Chile assuming the pro-tempore presidency, which took effect on June 28.
It can be remembered that a meeting was set to be held in Peru in December 2022, however, it was postponed amid a political crisis that engulfed Peru which sparked due to the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo and arrest for his attempt to illegally dissolve the Peruvian Congress.
Boluarte, who was Castillo’s Vice President, assumed the presidency following the latter’s ousting.
Meanwhile, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren has said,
“We have always recognized Peru’s right to exercise the pro tempore presidency… We have assumed the responsibility of acting as intermediaries to resolve this situation.”
Van Klaveren also said authorities reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance as a mechanism for political articulation, and economic and commercial integration, which seeks to advance progressively towards the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people.
The Alliance agreed that Peru will assume to pro-tempore presidency position from August 1, 2023.
