Peru's interim President Jose Jeri declared a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and the neighboring port of Callao on Tuesday, aiming to curb a escalating crime wave that has fueled widespread unrest.
The measure, effective from midnight Wednesday, empowers the government to deploy the army for street patrols and temporarily suspend freedoms such as assembly and protest rights.
This action follows weeks of anti-government demonstrations driven by frustration over corruption and organized crime, which culminated in the impeachment and removal of former President Dina Boluarte on October 10.
Jeri, who assumed office as parliament speaker and will serve until July 2026, framed the declaration as a pivotal shift in strategy.
“Wars are won with actions, not words,” he stated in a televised address, emphasizing a transition “from defence to offence” in battling insecurity.
He highlighted the disproportionate rise in crime, which has inflicted deep suffering on families and stalled national progress.
The emergency builds on a similar but ineffective decree issued by Boluarte in March after the murder of renowned cumbia singer Paul Flores, whose bus was targeted in an apparent extortion attempt.
Extortion cases have surged to an estimated 18,000 this year, a 30 percent increase from 2024, while homicides reached 1,690 between January and September, up from 1,502 in the prior year.
The transportation sector bears the brunt, with at least 47 bus drivers killed in extortion-related attacks.
Youth-led protests, spearheaded by Gen-Z activists, have drawn thousands to the streets in Lima and other cities, decrying the authorities' failure to stem the violence.
On Thursday, calls for Jeri's resignation escalated into clashes that left one person dead and around 100 injured, including police, protesters, and journalists.
Over the past month, more than 200 individuals have sustained injuries in such confrontations.
Jeri has firmly rejected demands for his resignation, positioning the emergency as the first major step to restore peace and public trust.
Peru has endured seven governments in the last decade, underscoring the persistent instability amid these challenges.