Peru Joins US-Led Shield of the Americas Anti-Cartel Pact
Is this a smart stand against borderless cartels or surrendering sovereignty to Washington's power play?
Above: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Peru's President Keiko Fujimori in Lima, Peru on Sept. 10. Image credit: Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Joining the Shield of the Americas is a smart move for Peru. Cartels and transnational gangs don't respect borders, so faster intelligence-sharing and coordinated action with more than 15 partner nations is the only realistic way to fight back. A country that already beat back terrorism knows exactly how high the stakes are.
Establishment-critical narrative
Peru is being pulled into Washington's hemispheric power play, and sovereignty is the price. This pact leans on militarized crackdowns and pressure to ditch Chinese trade and investment, while the U.S. offers tariffs, deportations and demands rather than development. Latin America is nobody's backyard and shouldn't have to pick a side.
