Rubio visits Peru to address regional counternarcotics and migration cooperation

The short version

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a three-nation tour in Peru focusing on counternarcotics and migration.[PBS NewsHour]
• The visit comes amid rising domestic crime in Peru, where extortion reports rose sharply from 2019 to 2025.[PBS NewsHour]
• China's embassy in Peru declared on the eve of the trip that the Western Hemisphere is nobody's backyard.[PBS NewsHour]

Key facts

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a three-nation South American tour in Peru focused on counternarcotics and migration.[PBS NewsHour]
• Official data indicates extortion reports in Peru surged from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025.[PBS NewsHour]
• The DEA considers Peru a leading global producer of cocaine, while the UN identifies it as the second-largest coca cultivator after Colombia.[PBS NewsHour]
• The Chinese Embassy in Peru issued a statement saying the Western Hemisphere is nobody's backyard.[PBS NewsHour]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• WATCH LIVE: Rubio holds news conference with Peruvian President Keiko FujimoriPBS NewsHour - World · Wire: associated-press