US Congresswoman Warns Chinese-Controlled Chancay Port in Peru Poses Military Threat

At a congressional hearing on Thursday, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who leads the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, announced that the U.S. would support Peru in regaining control of the Chancay port, currently under Chinese management. She characterized the deepwater facility as a significant military risk to the western hemisphere, highlighting its potential for 'dual usage' that could facilitate operations of Chinese submarines, aircraft carriers, and warships from Peruvian soil. Salazar called on the upcoming government of Peru, set to be elected in June, to reclaim the port. In February, a Lima lower court sided with Cosco in a constitutional protection case against Ositran, Peru's national transport infrastructure regulator, limiting the agency's oversight of port activities.