‘Strategic partner’: Peru’s Fujimori plans to intensify ties with the US

What the report says

Peru’s new government says it plans to deepen ties with the United States and move closer to a Trump-backed regional security initiative, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting from Lima on Friday. Newly appointed Foreign Minister Carlos Espa described Washington as a “strategic partner” and said the Fujimori administration wants to give substantial room to cooperation with President Donald Trump’s team.

Espa also said Peru intends to take early steps toward restoring diplomatic relations with Venezuela, while working to rebuild ties with Mexico and Colombia. His appointment and comments point to a foreign policy shift under President Keiko Fujimori, who was sworn in earlier this week after a narrow election victory. Al Jazeera reports that her cabinet is expected to align more closely with the United States, especially on security and anti-crime cooperation.

The article says Peru is preparing to join the Shield of the Americas, also called the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a US-led effort focused on coordinated action against cartels and other criminal groups. That move would fit Fujimori’s campaign message on crime, which helped define the election. It also comes as Washington seeks to counter China’s influence in Latin America, including in copper-rich Peru, making the country a significant battleground for regional influence.