Peru declares an emergency and deploys the army as violence surges in
the capital
[March 18, 2025]
LIMA, Peru (AP) —
Peru's president declared a state of emergency in the capital Monday and
ordered the deployment of soldiers to help police address a surge of
violence, amid widespread outcry a day after the killing of a popular
singer. |
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte speaks to the press during a visit by
Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia at the government
palace in Lima, Peru, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo, File) |
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President Dina Boluarte's government published a decree saying
that the state of emergency will last 30 days, and authorities
will restrict some rights, including the freedom of assembly and
movement. That means the police and the army would be able to
detain people without a judicial order.
Peru has seen an increase of killings, violent extortion and
attacks on public places in recent months. Police reported 459
killings from Jan. 1 to March 16, and 1,909 extortion reports in
January alone. But outrage crested after the killing Sunday of
Paul Flores, the 39-year-old lead singer of the cumbia band
Armonia 10.
In Congress, opposition lawmakers requested a vote of no
confidence against Interior Minister Juan José Santiváñez for
what they say is a lack of a plan to fight rising violence. The
vote is expected to be discussed in the Congress' plenary later
this week.
Flores was shot to death early Sunday when assailants attacked
the bus he and bandmates were traveling after a concert in Lima.
Cumbia is a Latin music style that people dance to the rhythm of
drums, maracas and other instruments.
The attack against the popular singer was not the only violent
event over the weekend. On Saturday, an object exploded at a
restaurant in the capital, injuring at least 11 people.
Boluarte’s government previously decreed a state of emergency in
an attempt to stem the violence between September and December.
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