Blinken and Castillo’s meeting in Peru: Security and strengthening of democracy

The trip of the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, touring South America in the framework of the OAS General Assembly, is framed in the context of the “hemispheric positioning” of the US in the face of the change of ideological direction in regional leadership and the advance of Chinese investments.

President Pedro Castillo will receive Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Executive Power headquarters in Lima within the framework of his South American tour to Colombia, Chile, and Peru, where he will also participate in the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), to be held in the Peruvian capital from October 5 to 7.

Blinken previously met with Colombian head of state Gustavo Petro in Bogota and, on October 5, will meet with Chilean President Gabriel Boric in Santiago de Chile before leaving for Lima.

The meeting between the US Secretary of State and the three South American leaders of leftist governments, three “lifelong partners,” as the Peruvian press has described Colombia, Chile, and Peru is part of a hemispheric positioning of the US in a scenario of substantial Chinese investments in the region.

According to the Peruvian Government Palace, Castillo and Blinken will address various issues such as strengthening democracy, cooperation in the fight against poverty, drug trafficking, and crime, and aspects related to bilateral economic relations and the environment.

The meeting, which Peruvian Foreign Minister Cesar Landa will attend, will focus on “our shared priorities of supporting strong democratic governments and respect for human rights throughout the Western Hemisphere, addressing the climate crisis, supporting regional efforts to address irregular migration, and implementing a holistic approach to countering drug trafficking and addressing its impacts on health, security, and the environment,” the US State Department said.

US Deputy Secretary of State Brian Nichols told Peruvian journalists that the approach to Colombia, Chile, and Peru is not determined by their ideological stance nor by the advance of Chinese influence in the region.

“We don’t judge countries based on where they stand on the political spectrum; we judge them based on their commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and human rights,” said Nichols, who is in charge of Latin America at the State Department.

“Never before have we had such a strong relationship with the region. We have redoubled efforts and assistance to help countries deal with migration issues by providing hundreds of millions of dollars,” he noted.

With information from Sputnik