On Monday, March 17th, Peruvian President Boluarte announced that the capital Lima and its neighboring province would be placed under a state of emergency. She also ordered the deployment of the military to assist the police in addressing the escalating violence.
On March 17th, President Boluarte declared a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and Callao province. Authorities will restrict certain civil liberties, including the freedom to assemble and demonstrate. This means that citizens can be detained by the police and military without due process.
Over the past few months, Peru has seen a sharp rise in murders, violent extortion, and attacks in public places. According to police reports, from January 1st to March 16th this year, Peru has experienced 459 homicide cases. In January alone, there were 1,909 reports of extortion.
Singer Paul Flores was murdered on Sunday, March 16th, which sparked outrage among the public. Flores, 39, was the lead vocalist of the Cumbia band Armonia 10.
In the early hours of Sunday in Lima, after the concert ended, Flores and his band members were attacked while on the bus. Flores was fatally shot.
The killing of singer Flores was not the only violent incident to hit the Peruvian capital over the weekend. Last Saturday, an explosion at a restaurant in Lima left at least 11 people injured.
In the Peruvian Congress, opposition lawmakers are calling for a vote of no confidence against Interior Minister Santiváñez. These lawmakers believe that the Interior Ministry has failed to formulate a plan to address the increasingly serious violence.
It is expected that later this week, the full Congress will debate this vote of no confidence.
The Boluarte government had previously declared a state of emergency last year in an attempt to curb violence between September and December.
(Credit: This article referenced reports from the Associated Press)