Peru declared a state of emergency in five high-security prisons on Saturday, allowing police and military forces to take control of the facilities in response to citizens’ security concerns, the government said in a decree.
The 60-day measure was issued by the government of President Keiko Fujimori, who took office in late July, and aims to combat criminal organisations operating from inside prisons toward the outside. The five prisons under the emergency order house around 50 oer cent of inmates linked to criminal organisations, the government said.
Military and police forces will be authorized to take action to secure the airspace and electromagnetic spectrum immediately surrounding the prisons.
Peru’s homicide rate rose to 10.7 per 100,000 inhabitants last year, up from 10.1 in 2024, according to official data.
The previous Sunday, gunmen disguised as police officers killed four people and kidnapped a mining businessman in the country’s north; he was freed hours later after paying a ransom, police said.
The government has asked Congress for legislative powers for 120 days to designate criminal organisations as “terrorists,” but the opposition has raised objections to the request.
