Peru’s megaport promised a flurry of trade. But it also brought crime

When Peru’s Chancay megaport was inaugurated last year, critics worried about its environmental impact and the expansion of Chinese influence in the region. But the first signs of trouble have come from a more mundane, yet depressingly common, source in South America: crime.

While projections suggest the port could add about 2% to Peru’s GDP, crime has surged even faster. A June report from the Crime and Violence Observatory said that Huaral province, where the port is located, now ranks fifth out of 196 in homicides per capita.