Name? Keiko Fujimori
Westphalian identity? Peruvian
Age? 51
Why is she in the news? Peruvian president Keiko Fujimori announced last Thursday that the country would be joining the U.S.-led “Shield of the Americas, a multinational coalition to combat organized crime in Latin America. The alliance was formalized during Marco Rubio’s visit to Lima. As of now 15 countries form the shield, sharing intelligence and coordinating action against narcotraffickers.
Why do we care? Fujimori ran and won on public security. As an establishment conservative, she now has the opportunity to strengthen Peru-U.S. security cooperation by joining public-facing initiatives run by the Rubio State Department. This both delivers quite publicly to her constituents and demonstrates her willingness to collaborate with the Trump Administration in other matters.
Why should you care? Fujimori assured that Peruvian sovereignty remains intact. Although the U.S. Secretary reiterated that they will never act unilaterally in this coalition, the U.S.’s past actions in the Caribbean contradicts Rubio’s words. But Fujimori cannot neglect the U.S. partnership, as Peru expects large damages from El Niño in the region as early as 2027. The U.S. is set to provide hospital vessels as early as February to relieve Peru from the expected damages.
Who else cares? Xi Jinping cares deeply. Both China and the U.S. have long been economic partners to Peru, however, now the U.S. offers a security alliance, something which Xi cannot offer. The Chinese government has invested $30 billion in mining and infrastructure through the BRI. In fact, they own 60% of Chancay, a megaport built by a Chinese company on Peru’s coast. But, China fears that the security cooperation will translate into a shift in loyalty, threatening China and Peru’s economic relationship in the long term.
Any further comments? For Fujimori, the coalition is not merely for security reasons, but also economic. She seeks relief from the 12.5% US tariffs using security cooperation as leverage.
