Peruvian Deputy Foreign Minister Eric Anderson Machado met Mexican Undersecretary Raquel Serur at the Peruvian Foreign Ministry to begin talks on removing tourist visa requirements.
The bilateral session, held on August 19, marked the first formal meeting between diplomatic representatives from Peru and Mexico since the two countries restored their diplomatic relations.
According to an official statement from Peru's Ministry of External Relations, Anderson told Serur that the visa requirement introduced by Mexico has significantly hurt the flow of Peruvian tourists traveling to the country. Anderson highlighted that Peru is currently the only member nation of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc whose citizens are required to obtain a visa to enter Mexico.
Resumption of Bilateral Cooperation
During the bilateral meeting, diplomats from both nations discussed reactivating several key dialogue mechanisms that had been placed on hold during the recent diplomatic freeze. The mechanisms include the Strategic Association Council, the Technical Meeting of the High-Level Security Group, the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation, and the Joint Commission on Educational and Cultural Cooperation.
Both officials also expressed a strong interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation to handle the environmental and economic impacts of the El Niño climate phenomenon.
The Pacific Alliance is a major Latin American trade and development bloc founded by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru to encourage the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. Institutional frameworks such as the High-Level Security Group, known as GANSEC, serve as critical channels for managing shared security challenges, scientific research, and cultural exchanges between member states.
Restoration of Diplomatic Relations
Mexico reinstated the visa requirement for Peruvian citizens in 2024, stating that the policy was introduced to manage irregular migratory flows. One year later, in 2025, diplomatic relations between Lima and Mexico City were completely severed following a major dispute over a political asylum request submitted by former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.
Bilateral ties were later restored under the administration of Peruvian leader Keiko Fujimori. Foreign Minister Carlos Espá granted the necessary safe passage permit to Chávez, allowing her to travel to Mexico and resolving the political standoff between the two governments.
Following the meeting between Anderson and Serur, both foreign ministries are expected to continue bilateral discussions through technical working groups to rebuild institutional cooperation and address tourist travel rules.
