Peru joins US-led ‘Shield of the Americas’ security alliance

Keiko Fujimori, Peru’s recently elected right-wing leader, announced the move on Thursday after talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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Her government also awarded Rubio the Order of the Sun, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.

Rubio’s visit to the Peruvian capital, Lima, caps his three-day, three-country tour of South America to shore up ties between US President Donald Trump and conservative allies in the region.

The diplomat praised Fujimori’s decision to join the Shield of the Americas, also known as the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC), which has advocated for greater military involvement in the fight against crime.

Fujimori, a former first lady and the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, was sworn into office in July after campaigning heavily on security-related issues.

Peru is the world’s second-largest producer of cocaine, behind Colombia, and reports of crimes like extortion have spiked in recent years.

But Washington’s involvement in the region remains a controversial prospect, given its history of past interventions and its support of right-wing leaders accused of human rights abuses.

Al Jazeera correspondent Teresa Bo explained that the closer cooperation has also raised concerns about the prospect of eroding Latin American sovereignty.

Rubio attempted to tamp down those concerns during his visit, saying the US would only intervene with the permission of local authorities.

Nevertheless, in Lima, protesters gathered outside the government house where Fujimori’s meeting with Rubio was taking place. Some carried signs that read, “Marco Rubio out of Peru, no to Shield of the Americas.”.

The Trump administration has also indicated that it would like countries like Peru distance themselves from China, which overtook the US as Peru’s primary trading partner.

In February, for instance, the Trump administration criticised Peru for allowing China to construct a mega-port in Chancay, warning that “cheap Chinese money costs sovereignty”.

Peru is critical not only to US security strategy in Latin America, but also to its economic interests. It is an important source of mineral resources, as the world’s third-largest producer of copper.

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