On Tuesday, October 21, the acting president of Peru, Jose Jeri, declared a state of emergency lasting 30 days in the capital Lima and the neighboring province of Callao to curb the escalating violence and crime.
In his televised address, Jeri announced that the emergency measures approved by the cabinet would take effect after midnight on the same day. The government is also considering various actions, including deploying the military to assist law enforcement and restricting the rights of citizens to gather freely.
He stated in the televised speech, “Victory in battle relies on action, not empty words… We are transitioning from defense to offense to combat crime, and this battle will help us regain peace, tranquility, and the trust of millions of Peruvians.”
On October 10, former president Dina Boluarte was impeached by parliamentary members for failing to effectively curb the wave of crime, leading to the swearing-in of interim president Jeri, a former speaker of the house.
Jeri unveiled a new cabinet list last week and pledged to prioritize combating crime. Last Wednesday, October 15, Lima and several other cities witnessed large-scale protests since the inauguration of interim president Jeri. Demonstrators expressed anger towards the long-standing corruption in the government and its inability to address the worsening crime crisis, demanding the resignation of the new president and the repeal of laws favoring criminal organizations.
The protest initiated by civic groups and the younger generation unfortunately escalated into violent clashes, resulting in one fatality and around 100 injuries. Local police confirmed that Eduardo Ruíz, a 32-year-old rapper, was shot and killed by an officer during the conflict.
On October 16, Jeri declared that he would not resign. In recent years, homicides, violent extortions, and attacks in public places within Peru have been steadily increasing. According to police statistics, from January to September this year, there were 1,690 murder cases in Peru, a significant rise from 1,502 cases during the same period last year.
Former president Boluarte had also declared a 30-day state of emergency in March this year, but it had minimal impact on reducing the crime rate.