Declaration means government can send army to patrol streets, restrict freedom of assembly and curtail other rights

Peru’s interim president, Jose Jeri, announced a state of emergency in Lima and the neighbouring port of Callao on Tuesday after weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organised crime.

“The state of emergency approved by the council of ministers will take effect at midnight on Wednesday and will last for 30 days in metropolitan Lima and Callao,” Jeri said in an address to the nation on state television.

Under the state of emergency, the government can send the army to patrol the streets and restrict freedom of assembly and other rights.

This is the first major action by the interim president since he took office nearly two weeks ago to address the spiralling crime crisis.

Peru has been rocked by protests for weeks and lawmakers voted earlier this month to impeach the elected president, Dina Boluarte, whom critics blamed for a surge in crime and accuse of corruption.

“Crime has increased disproportionately in recent years, causing immense pain to thousands of families and further hindering the country’s progress. But that’s over. Today, we begin to change the narrative of insecurity in Peru,” Jeri said in his address.

“We are moving from the defensive to the offensive in the fight against crime, a fight that will allow us to regain peace, tranquility, and the trust of millions of Peruvians.”

Lima was partially under a state of emergency between March and July after the murder of a famous musician, which was attributed to organised crime.

The youth-led demonstrations have brought thousands of Peruvians, frustrated by the authorities’ failure to address the worsening crime crisis, on to the streets in Lima and several other cities.

Over the past month, more than 200 people have been injured in the protests including police officers, protesters and journalists. One man was shot dead by police.

The security crisis in Peru, which has hit the transportation sector especially hard – with at least 47 bus drivers killed this year in what are believed to be extortion-related attacks – triggered Boluarte’s dismissal on 10 October.

Jeri, the speaker of parliament, will serve as interim president until July 2026.

Peru has had seven governments over the past decade, including the one that replaced Dina Boluarte.

Source: www.theguardian.com