Peru’s New Leader Declares War on Crime, Suspends Rights in Capital

Peru’s interim president, Jose Jeri, is taking a hardline stance against a spiraling crime wave, imposing a 30-day state of emergency on the capital, Lima. The move, announced in a televised address, signals a dramatic shift in tactics for a government desperate to show control.

“Wars are won with actions, not words,” Jeri declared, outlining a new approach to fighting crime that he described as going “from defence to offence.”

The decree grants the government sweeping powers, including the ability to deploy the army onto the streets and suspend constitutional rights like freedom of assembly. This effectively bans the antigovernment protests, largely driven by Gen Z activists over corruption and organized crime, that contributed to the ouster of his predecessor, Dina Boluarte, just weeks ago.

The crisis Jeri inherits is stark. Extortion cases are estimated to have surged by 30 percent this year, fueling a rise in homicides. The previous government’s attempts to curb the violence, including a state of emergency declared by Boluarte in March, did little to slow the trend.

The political stakes are immediate. Jeri’s announcement follows six days of violent protests demanding his own resignation, which left one person dead and about 100 injured. He has said he will not step down, betting that a military-backed crackdown can succeed where his predecessor’s policies failed.