Peruvians protest against US Secretary of State Rubio’s visit
In Peru’s capital, Lima, hundreds of people protested against the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the country’s closer security ties with Washington. The participants also opposed Peru joining a US-backed alliance against transnational organized crime, Anadolu Agency reports.
Protest in Lima
The demonstration took place as Rubio arrived in Lima on Wednesday evening for meetings with President Keiko Fujimori and other senior Peruvian officials. Protesters held signs calling on Rubio to leave Peru, opposed the US presence in Latin America and the Americas Shield initiative.
Protest participant Soledad Lozano said that Peru should independently determine its international alliances. According to her, Peruvians should decide with whom to form alliances and agreements.
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Joining the coalition
During Rubio’s meeting with Fujimori on Thursday, Peru officially joined the US-led Americas Shield coalition. The initiative is aimed at combating drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.
Fujimori said the agreement would strengthen intelligence sharing and joint action against criminal groups operating across state borders. Rubio welcomed Peru’s decision and said regional cooperation was needed to counter threats from such organizations. He also said Washington would prefer to work with regional allies rather than resort to unilateral military action against drug traffickers.
The Peruvian leg was part of Rubio’s three-country South American tour, which also included Colombia and Ecuador. The United States seeks to strengthen security and trade ties with the region’s conservative governments while countering China’s growing economic influence. Peru has close economic ties with China, including through Chinese investments in infrastructure and the mining industry.
