The Obama Administration and Peru

Under the administration of President Barack Obama (2009-present), security remained at the top of the U.S.-Peru bilateral agenda. Under both Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, the two major security concerns in Peru were narcotics and the remnants of the Shining Path guerrillas. Although President Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) had opposed U.S. counternarcotics policy during his campaign and first months in office, he changed course and, since 2012, Peru has been a stalwart supporter of U.S. security policies. Pleased with the change, the Obama administration was more attentive and supportive of the Humala government than it or the Bush administration had been of Peru's previous government under President Alan Garcia (2006-2011). Concomitantly, the two countries were also close partners on economic issues and were generally in accord on issues of democracy and climate change as well.