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Peru

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Peru. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Lima

Head of State

President Dina Boluarte

Head of Government

Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén

People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA

China-Latin America relations

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

1 May 2026 - 11:00PM

Americas and the Caribbean

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US F-16 jet deal

23 Apr 2026 - 1:53PM

US-China trade war

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

17 Apr 2026 - 4:57PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:01AM

Boats in the water, in front of cranes at the Chinese-built Chancay megaport operated by Cosco Shipping, in Chancay, Peru. Photo: Reuters

Americas and the Caribbean

Peru presidential run-off looms as Fujimori leads troubled vote

Daughter of former strongman is ahead in the race, but logistical issues have forced a one-day voting extension for tens of thousands.

13 Apr 2026 - 6:18PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China

Chilean investigators dismantled cross-border networks after one of largest organised crime operations in South American country’s history.

9 Apr 2026 - 6:04AMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Peru set to choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential hopefuls

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds first place ⁠in the polls ⁠one week before Peru’s presidential election.

8 Apr 2026 - 5:00PM

Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori. Photo: Reuters

Americas and the Caribbean

1 dead in Peru football stadium tragedy, dozens injured

The Ministry of Health reported the collapse of a wall inside the stadium in the capital, but police and the Alianza Lima club denied this.

4 Apr 2026 - 8:44PM

Aviation accidents

At least 66 dead as Colombia military plane crashes after take-off

Death toll rises from a Hercules C-130 transport plane crash deep in Colombia’s southern Amazon region.

24 Mar 2026 - 1:46PM

China-Latin America relations

China wants Brazil’s biggest port terminal. Washington just said no

US consul-general Kevin Murakami told port executives the Santos megadeal should not fall into ‘unwanted hands’.

17 Mar 2026 - 3:12AMvideocam

Tecon Santos 10, a planned 621,000-square-metre container terminal in Brazil’s port city of Santos, is expected to boost the country’s capacity by 3.25 million TEUs under a 25-year concession. Photo: Reuters

Crime

Peru officials say 3 arrested in nightclub bombing that injured dozens

Police in Trujillo move swiftly to detain suspects after a devastating IED blast at the Dalí nightclub.

9 Mar 2026 - 11:08AM

Closure notices at the entrance to the Dali nightclub following an explosion inside the venue. Photo: Provincial Municipality of Trujillo via AFP

Hong Kong tourism

Sky-high jump in airfares from Hong Kong to Europe, Americas – even Asian cities

Economy-class fares to Paris, Rome and New York surge while cheapest return flight to Tokyo costs nearly HK$5,000.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:12PMvideocam

China trade

Despite loss of Panama Canal, China investing US$23.9b in global seaports: study

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

6 Mar 2026 - 10:20AMvideocam

Extreme weather

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

3 Mar 2026 - 2:28AMvideocam

A waste picker drinks water while working at a rubbish dump on the outskirts of Jammu, India, during a heatwave in 2024. Photo: AP

Americas and the Caribbean

Peru Congress picks country’s eighth president in a decade

Jose Maria Balcazar installed as Peru’s interim president after Jose Jeri was ousted after barely four months in office.

19 Feb 2026 - 3:58PM

Peru’s new interim President Jose Maria Balcazar as he gives a speech. Photo: Peruvian Congress via AFP

China-Latin America relations

Peru President Jose Jeri ousted in ‘Chifagate’ scandal tied to China contractor

Late-night meeting with Chinese businessman at a restaurant in Lima fuelled a probe and created major cross-party revolt.

18 Feb 2026 - 5:22AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

US, China clash over Peru Chancay megaport after court bars regulator oversight

Ruling limits state supervision of Chinese-controlled hub, prompting sovereignty warning from Washington and sharp rebuttal from Beijing.

13 Feb 2026 - 5:04AMvideocam

India

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre) with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on January 27. Photo: European Council/dpa

Belt and Road Initiative

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

6 Feb 2026 - 7:30AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Peru’s president refuses to resign over secret meetings with Chinese businessmen

Jose Jeri is under scrutiny for clandestine encounters with Chinese businessmen that triggered a criminal probe and calls for his removal.

23 Jan 2026 - 5:26AMvideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Far from setting China back, Trump’s foreign policy is bolstering the case for viewing Beijing as the driver of a more equitable world.

13 Jan 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

Can Peru keep both China and US onside in an increasingly volatile environment?

Its mineral resources make it a focus for superpower rivalry, but analysts say the country is in a very different situation to Venezuela.

11 Jan 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

The Chancay port is a key Chinese investment in the region and a vital hub for mineral exports. Photo: Xinhua

China food security

Opinion | Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches

A decade on, the humble tuber’s public adoption remains an elusive goal for China’s planners and yet it offers a lesson for uncertain times.

31 Dec 2025 - 9:04AMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong is stepping up its competitiveness in aviation

By funding upgrades to the airport and signing international aviation deals, the city is proactively working to expand its global reach.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:45AM

Iran

Iran seizes foreign oil tanker suspected of smuggling fuel

Semi-official media cited few details but the news comes days after the US intercepted a tanker off Venezuela allegedly linked to Tehran.

13 Dec 2025 - 9:03PMvideocam

A gasoline refinery in Asalouyeh, Iran. File photo: AP

China-Latin America relations

China pledges aid to Latin America, Caribbean with no ‘political conditions’

Third strategy paper of its kind released as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in a region Washington actively courts.

11 Dec 2025 - 12:07AMvideocam

A container ship arrives at the Port of Balboa in Panama City, Panama, on October 27. Latin America has emerged as a focal point in the competition between Washington and Beijing. Photo: EPA

China-Latin America relations

US senators warn of China-cartel links forming a global ‘Silk Road of crime’

At a Senate hearing, officials described Chinese money brokers as key to laundering cartel funds and fuelling the illicit fentanyl trade.

30 Dec 2025 - 5:03AMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong signs aviation deals with 7 countries to expand global reach

Transport chief Mable Chan says deals reached with mostly Latin American nations, while Airport Authority CEO calls for more investment to manage risks.

9 Dec 2025 - 8:06PM

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Peru

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US F-16 jet deal

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

Peru presidential run-off looms as Fujimori leads troubled vote

Daughter of former strongman is ahead in the race, but logistical issues have forced a one-day voting extension for tens of thousands.

Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China

Chilean investigators dismantled cross-border networks after one of largest organised crime operations in South American country’s history.

Peru set to choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential hopefuls

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds first place ⁠in the polls ⁠one week before Peru’s presidential election.

1 dead in Peru football stadium tragedy, dozens injured

The Ministry of Health reported the collapse of a wall inside the stadium in the capital, but police and the Alianza Lima club denied this.

At least 66 dead as Colombia military plane crashes after take-off

Death toll rises from a Hercules C-130 transport plane crash deep in Colombia’s southern Amazon region.

China wants Brazil’s biggest port terminal. Washington just said no

US consul-general Kevin Murakami told port executives the Santos megadeal should not fall into ‘unwanted hands’.

Peru officials say 3 arrested in nightclub bombing that injured dozens

Police in Trujillo move swiftly to detain suspects after a devastating IED blast at the Dalí nightclub.

Sky-high jump in airfares from Hong Kong to Europe, Americas – even Asian cities

Economy-class fares to Paris, Rome and New York surge while cheapest return flight to Tokyo costs nearly HK$5,000.

Despite loss of Panama Canal, China investing US$23.9b in global seaports: study

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

Peru Congress picks country’s eighth president in a decade

Jose Maria Balcazar installed as Peru’s interim president after Jose Jeri was ousted after barely four months in office.

Peru President Jose Jeri ousted in ‘Chifagate’ scandal tied to China contractor

Late-night meeting with Chinese businessman at a restaurant in Lima fuelled a probe and created major cross-party revolt.

US, China clash over Peru Chancay megaport after court bars regulator oversight

Ruling limits state supervision of Chinese-controlled hub, prompting sovereignty warning from Washington and sharp rebuttal from Beijing.

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

Peru’s president refuses to resign over secret meetings with Chinese businessmen

Jose Jeri is under scrutiny for clandestine encounters with Chinese businessmen that triggered a criminal probe and calls for his removal.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise

Far from setting China back, Trump’s foreign policy is bolstering the case for viewing Beijing as the driver of a more equitable world.

Can Peru keep both China and US onside in an increasingly volatile environment?

Its mineral resources make it a focus for superpower rivalry, but analysts say the country is in a very different situation to Venezuela.

Opinion | Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches

A decade on, the humble tuber’s public adoption remains an elusive goal for China’s planners and yet it offers a lesson for uncertain times.

Opinion | Hong Kong is stepping up its competitiveness in aviation

By funding upgrades to the airport and signing international aviation deals, the city is proactively working to expand its global reach.

Iran seizes foreign oil tanker suspected of smuggling fuel

Semi-official media cited few details but the news comes days after the US intercepted a tanker off Venezuela allegedly linked to Tehran.

China pledges aid to Latin America, Caribbean with no ‘political conditions’

Third strategy paper of its kind released as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in a region Washington actively courts.

US senators warn of China-cartel links forming a global ‘Silk Road of crime’

At a Senate hearing, officials described Chinese money brokers as key to laundering cartel funds and fuelling the illicit fentanyl trade.

Hong Kong signs aviation deals with 7 countries to expand global reach

Transport chief Mable Chan says deals reached with mostly Latin American nations, while Airport Authority CEO calls for more investment to manage risks.

Opinion | Trump’s audacious imperialism will only propel China’s rise