Peru puts Lima under state of emergency as soldiers patrol against crime wave

# Peru puts Lima under state of emergency as soldiers patrol against crime wave

Peru’s government has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Lima, and deployed soldiers to support police after a surge in violent crime pushed public frustration to a breaking point.

The move took effect on March 18, 2025, after President Dina Boluarte’s administration responded to a weekend of violence that included the killing of popular singer Paul Flores and an explosion at a restaurant in the capital that injured at least 11 people. By the time commuters headed out on Tuesday morning, they were already facing added security measures and uncertainty about how much the emergency decree would change on the streets.

National police director Victor Sanabria said patrols would increase around train and bus stations, where tens of thousands of people gather each morning. The military said it would send 1,000 soldiers into Lima to patrol key areas and assist local police. The state of emergency is expected to last 30 days and gives authorities broader powers, including the ability to suspend some civil liberties, search homes without warrants and arrest people without court orders.

The government’s decision came amid a broader political backlash over crime. Some lawmakers have moved to remove Interior Minister Juan José Santivañez, accusing him of failing to contain the violence. The security crisis has become a national issue because it combines organized extortion, rising murders and high-profile attacks that ordinary residents can see and feel in daily life.

The AP report makes clear that fear in Lima is not abstract. One resident told the agency that people feel abandoned and unsafe, pointing to the risk of being shot on a bus or forced to pay extortion money on the way to work. That sentiment helps explain why the emergency declaration is being judged not only by legal powers but by whether it produces visible security at transport hubs and in working-class neighborhoods.

The latest measure is not Peru’s first use of emergency powers. A similar restriction was in place from September to December, suggesting that the state has already been reaching for extraordinary tools without reversing the trend. Officials say the current surge is tied to a growing illegal economy, including drug trafficking, and to the presence of international criminal groups operating in the country.

The numbers cited by the government are stark. Peru recorded 2,057 murders in 2024, up sharply from 674 in 2017. The attorney general’s office also received 22,800 extortion complaints last year, four times the number filed in 2017. Those figures show how quickly crime has escalated from a public nuisance into a defining policy problem.

The emergency in Lima is therefore both a security and political test. If the extra troops and widened police powers make neighborhoods feel safer, Boluarte’s government may buy time. If they do not, the pressure on the interior minister and the broader administration is likely to intensify.

For now, Lima’s commuters are the first to see the response: more uniforms, more checkpoints and a government promising that the worst of the violence can be pushed back. Whether that promise lasts beyond the 30-day decree will depend on results, not rhetoric.