Foreign Minister travels to Washington for the Nicaragua crisis before the OAS

Foreign Minister Alfonso Carlos Espá y Garcés-Alvear will travel to Washington D.C., United States of America, from October 1 to 3, 2026, to participate in the Thirty-First Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of American States (OAS), convened to analyze the situation in the Republic of Nicaragua. The decision was formalized through Supreme Resolution No. 284-2026-PCM, published in the Official Gazette El Peruano on Sunday, September 27, 2026, which also entrusts the Office of Foreign Affairs to the President of the Council of Ministers, Luis Fernando Galarreta Velarde.

The regulation, signed in Lima on September 25, 2026, and endorsed by the President of the Republic, Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi, by Galarreta Velarde, and by the Foreign Minister himself, is based on Article 127 of the Political Constitution of Peru; Law No. 29158, Organic Law of the Executive Branch; Law No. 27619, which regulates the authorization of foreign travel for public servants and officials; Law No. 32513, Public Sector Budget Law for Fiscal Year 2026; Law No. 29357, Law of Organization and Functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Supreme Decree No. 047-2002-PCM.

The origin of the hemispheric meeting

The call for the meeting dates back to two resolutions of the Permanent Council of the OAS:

• Resolution CP/RES. 1317 (2601/26), of August 19, 2026: urgently convened, and in accordance with Articles 61, 62, and 63 of the Charter of the Organization of American States, a Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the headquarters of the General Secretariat, to consider the situation in the Republic of Nicaragua and appropriate actions, in accordance with the OAS Charter, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and international law.
• Resolution CP/RES. 1320 (2603/26), of September 23, 2026: determined that the Thirty-First Meeting of Consultation will be held on October 2, 2026, at the headquarters of the OAS General Secretariat in Washington D.C.
• Communication No. OSG/424/26, of September 23, 2026: the Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramchand Ramdin, sent the invitation to the Minister of State in the Office of Foreign Affairs of Peru.

The objectives of Peruvian participation

According to the recitals of the supreme resolution, the presence of the Foreign Minister at the conclave will allow for a collective assessment of the situation in Nicaragua, reaffirm the applicable inter-American principles and standards, and examine the actions that could be developed within the competencies of the OAS and its Member States.

The text adds that the trip constitutes an opportunity to express to the high authorities of the participating countries Peru’s political commitment to the values and principles of democracy, which is why its authorization was classified as being of national interest.

Assignment of Office and travel expenses

The resolution details the administrative conditions of the service commission:

• Article 3: entrusts the Office of Foreign Affairs to Luis Fernando Galarreta Velarde, President of the Council of Ministers, for the duration of the titular’s absence.
• Article 2: expenses are covered by the budget appropriation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Goal (314) 0083906 and POI Code AOI00004500085.
• Airfare: USD 2,293.57; per diem: USD 440.00 per day; number of days: 1+1; total per diem: USD 880.00.
• Documented accountability within a period not exceeding fifteen (15) calendar days upon completion of the trip.
• Article 4: the resolution does not grant the right to exemption or release from taxes or payment of customs duties of any kind.

Impact

The trip defines the Peruvian position in a high-profile hemispheric debate and, for the first time in this sequence, leaves the conduct of foreign policy in the hands of the head of the Cabinet while the foreign minister is out of the country. The meeting on October 2 in Washington D.C. will concentrate the collective response of the Inter-American system regarding the Nicaraguan situation, with Peru among the States called upon to take a position.

Source: Official Gazette El Peruano, No. 19544, Sunday, September 27, 2026, LEGAL NORMS section, page 3 (official reference: 2558718-1).