Peru's Congress has declared Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador "persona non grata" for statements he made against his Peruvian counterpart Dina Boluarte.

On Thursday, Peru lawmakers approved by 65 votes to 40 — with two abstentions — a motion against Lopez Obrador for allegedly breaching "the principle of non-interference in the affairs" of another state.

The motion directed the foreign and interior ministries to "take the necessary actions to ensure that the president of Mexico does not enter the national territory."

Persona non grata is a Latin term that means "unwelcome person."

As a legal term, it refers to a practice in which a country prohibits a person from entering as a diplomat.

'Usurper'

Obrador had labelled Boluarte a "usurper" and resisted ceding the presidency of the Pacific Alliance Latin American trade bloc to her.

Boluarte took over after Peru's leftist former president Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested for attempting to dissolve parliament and rule by decree last December.

Castillo's ouster was criticised by leftist Latin American allies, including Mexico, which provided asylum to Castillo's wife and children.

In February, Boluarte announced the recall of Peru's ambassador to Mexico, and earlier this month, Lopez Obrador refused to hand over the Pacific Alliance presidency to Peru, as scheduled, arguing that Boluarte was not the legitimate president.