Troops to patrol the capital after shooting of popular cumbia singer in extortion attack on a bus provokes public outrage.
Peru has declared a state of emergency in the capital amid a spate of violence and criminality.
The government led by President Dina Boluarte made the decree, which will deploy troops on the streets of Lima, late on Monday. The move, which will hand police and the military the power to detain people with little restriction and last for 30 days, was spurred by the death of a popular singer in a criminal attack.
The clampdown follows weeks of escalating violence blamed on criminal groups that often target businesses, including transport companies, even as authorities have touted recent gang arrests.
Paul Flores, a well-known cumbia singer, died on Sunday as assailants attacked the bus he was travelling on in an apparent attempt to extort the operator.
The shooting, which followed an explosion at a restaurant that injured at least 11 people, provoked public fury.
Crimewave
Peru has seen an increase in killings, violent extortion and attacks on public places in recent months. Police reported 459 killings from January 1 to March 16, and 1,909 extortion reports in January alone.
The crime wave prompted Boluarte, whose government also decreed a state of emergency between September and December, to declare that she would like to see murderers face the death penalty. Peru allows execution only for convicted traitors.
Opposition lawmakers have requested a vote of no confidence against Minister of the Interior Juan Jose Santivanez, claiming that he lacks a plan to deal with the violence.
The vote is expected to be discussed in the Congress’s plenary later this week.
Peruvian authorities have repeatedly declared emergencies when criminal activity or social unrest spikes in recent years.
Under the state of emergency, authorities will restrict rights including the freedom of assembly and movement, while the police and military will be able to detain people without a judicial order.
