Peru, an Andean nation with deep ports that China covets, is being convulsed by riots instigated from both inside and outside the country. If you notice a similar pattern with the riots that have destabilized Colombia, Chile — and the United States — that is because the same network of people is involved.

In Peru’s case, the spark came last week with the arrest of the new Maoist president, Pedro Castillo. In Colombia, it was an uptick in a local tax passed in 2021. In Chile, a minimal raise in the price of a subway ride in 2019 sparked unrest. And in the U.S., it was the deaths of Trayvon Martin in 2012, of Michael Brown in 2014, and of George Floyd in 2020.