Marco Rubio arrives in Peru for official visit: Security and geopolitics on the agenda
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Peruvian soil this Wednesday to carry out a key work agenda. His visit, which marks the conclusion of a South American tour that included stops in Colombia and Ecuador, has as its main objective to strengthen diplomatic ties as 200 years of bilateral relations between both nations are celebrated.
Upon his arrival at Air Group Number 8, in Callao, the U.S. official was received with the corresponding protocol. According to the established agenda, Rubio will hold an initial meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Espá, and will then move to the Government Palace, where he will meet with President Keiko Fujimori for the first time since she assumed the head of state.
Core axes: Regional security and the Shield of the Americas
One of the critical points of the meeting is Peru’s accession to the Shield of the Americas, an initiative promoted by the Donald Trump administration to combat organized crime. President Fujimori has shown interest in this coalition as part of her strategy to curb the advance of criminal gangs linked to illegal mining and extortion.
Security cooperation has already yielded tangible results, such as the recent capture in Bolivia of Jhonsson Cruz Torres, leader of the criminal organization Los Pulpos, achieved through joint work with U.S. agencies such as the FBI and the DEA.
The geopolitical pulse with China
The visit also highlights the growing tension between Washington and Beijing over influence in the region. Marco Rubio has expressed concerns about Chinese investments in Peru, specifically pointing to the port of Chancay and the control of strategic electrical sectors.
For its part, the Chinese Embassy in Lima defended the transparency of its projects, asserting that its investments comply with the law and that Latin American countries have the necessary sovereignty to choose their commercial partners without external pressure.
Military modernization and technology
- Defense: The United States maintains interest in the sale of twelve F-16 Block 70 aircraft, valued at 2 billion dollars, in addition to a 3 billion dollar contract for the modernization of the Callao naval base.
- Artificial Intelligence: The Fujimori government signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States to adopt U.S. AI systems, prioritizing this technology over alternatives from extra-hemispheric countries.
This series of agreements and conversations positions Peru as a strategic player in the current geopolitical dynamic, seeking a balance between its internal security needs and its relationships with world powers.
