Peru’s interim president Jose Jeri announced a state of emergency in Lima and the neighboring port of Callao on Tuesday, after weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organized 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 broadcast by 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 spiraling crime crisis.
The South American country has been rocked by protests for weeks, and lawmakers voted earlier this month to impeach president Dina Boluarte, whom critics blamed for a surge in crime and accused 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,” he added.
Lima had already been partially placed under a state of emergency between March and July, following the murder of a famous musician, which was attributed to organized crime.
The youth-led demonstrations have brought thousands of Peruvians, frustrated by the authorities’ failure to address the worsening crime crisis, onto 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 and 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 October 10.
Parliament Speaker Jeri will serve as interim president until July 2026.
Peru has had seven governments over the past decade, including the one that replaced Dina Boluarte.
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