Tag China influence in Latin America

Beijing Courts Peru and a Leftist Senator Answers the Call

Peruvian senator Mirtha Vásquez will fly to China on the Chinese Embassy's dime, right when senators should be meeting their voters. Beijing courts Peru with free trips, a megaport and more than 30,000 million dollars in investment, while a 2023 paid junket went unpunished and a president lost his office over a dinner with a Chinese businessman. Nobody flies you to Beijing for nothing.

Empty negotiating table with scattered documents in front of the American, Mexican and Canadian flags in a dark wood-paneled room

Trump Won’t Accept the Deficit: USMCA Review 2026

On July 1, 2026, the U.S. officially refused to renew USMCA. "The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form," said USTR Jamieson Greer. The trade deficit is Trump's primary concern: 197,000 million dollars with Mexico plus 46,000 million with Canada in 2025, more than double what it was when USMCA took effect.

Gray naval ships moored at a long concrete pier with cranes and warehouses along a Pacific harbor.

Fair Deal, No Loans: Peru’s US-Backed Naval Base

A deal to modernize Peru's naval base, backed by the United States, will upgrade Callao for $1,500 million, fully paid by Peru's own bonds, zero U.S. taxpayer dollars. Just 80 kilometers away, China's Cosco Shipping controls the Chancay megaport after a court ruling limited Peru's oversight. Keiko Fujimori, a likely incoming president, would push for closer defense ties with the United States and would scrutinize more closely China's role in Peru.