March 7 (Reuters) - Peru's central bank held its benchmark interest rate at 6.25% on Thursday, defying expectations of a 25-basis-point rate cut following an uptick in inflation in February.

Consumer prices in the Andean country rose 0.56% in February, up from a 0.02% rise in January.

The annual rate also ticked up to 3.29%, from 3.02% in the previous month, breaking a downward trend that had been in place since last year, as Peru works to exit a recession.

The acceleration in February after months of decelerating inflation was likely transitory, the central bank said in its monetary policy statement on Thursday.

Annual inflation is expected to continue its downward trajectory and will converge to the bank's target range "in the coming months," the central bank said. (Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Valentine Hilaire and Josie Kao)