Chile to Temporarily Head Pacific Alliance Amid Rift Between Mexico, Peru

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Chile will temporarily lead the Pacific Alliance amid disagreements between Mexico and Peru that have slowed the organization's work, the Chilean Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

"[Chilean] Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren confirmed that our country [Chile] will assume the temporary presidency of the Pacific Alliance, a decision that was adopted at a meeting held in Santiago," the ministry said in a statement.

During the meeting, at which Van Klaveren, as well as Mexican Ambassador to Chile Alicia Barcena, Charge d'Affaires of Peru in Chile Renzo Villa Prado and Charge d'Affaires of Colombia in Chile Rene Correa Rodriguez were present, all sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Pacific Alliance as a mechanism for political convergence and economic and commercial integration, the statement read.

Chile will hold the presidency for one month, the ministry added.

The Pacific Alliance is a trade bloc formed in April 2011. It includes Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. It has 61 observer states, including Ecuador.

The organization aims to improve regional integration and facilitate trade and economic relations.

The most recent summit of the Pacific Alliance was scheduled to take place on December 14, 2022, in the Peruvian capital of Lima, but was postponed indefinitely due to the absence of then-President Pedro Castillo, who was barred from leaving Peru by his country's Congress amid allegations of corruption-related crimes.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to hand over the presidency of the alliance to Peru. Mexican authorities have repeatedly expressed support for Castillo and condemned the repression of protests in Peru. In response, Lima expelled the Mexican ambassador and recalled its ambassador from Mexico.

The Peruvian Foreign Ministry said that while the Mexican government continues to hold the de facto presidency of the alliance, its work has been paralyzed.