Hundreds of people protested in Peru against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit, denouncing what they called growing US influence in the country and rejecting closer security cooperation with Washington.
"Marco Rubio out of Peru!" "Yankees out of Latin America!" and "No to the Shield of the Americas!" read banners carried by protesters opposed to Peru's participation in the US-backed alliance against transnational organized crime.
The demonstration took place as Rubio arrived in the capital Lima Wednesday night for meetings with President Keiko Fujimori and other senior Peruvian officials.
Protester Soledad Lozano said Peru should determine its own international alliances. "Peru is not the backyard of any country in the world," she said, arguing that Peruvians should decide "who we ally ourselves with and what agreements we make."
Rubio's visit comes as Lima moves closer to Washington on security and defense issues.
During his meeting with Fujimori on Thursday, Peru formally joined the US-led Shield of the Americas coalition, an initiative focused on combating drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.
Fujimori said the agreement would strengthen intelligence-sharing and joint action against criminal groups operating across borders.
Rubio welcomed Peru's decision, saying regional cooperation is necessary to address threats posed by criminal organizations.
The US secretary of state also said Washington would prefer to work with regional allies rather than take unilateral military action against drug traffickers.
The visit is Rubio's latest stop on a three-country South American tour that included Colombia and Ecuador.
Washington is seeking to strengthen security and commercial ties with conservative governments in the region while countering China's growing economic influence.
Peru has particularly close economic ties with China, including major Chinese investments in infrastructure and mining.
