Peruvian President Implements Emergency Conditions For 30 Days In The Capital Five
JAKARTA - Peru President Jose Jeri announced the imposition of a 30-day state of emergency in the capital Lima and neighboring province, Callao. The move was taken to combat an increase in crime.
The announcement follows protests last week that killed one person and injured more than 100 people.
Jeri said the imposition of the state of emergency, which began just after midnight and was approved by the Council of Ministers, allowed the deployment of the armed forces with the police to maintain public order. He did not provide further details.
"We are turning from defending to attacking in the fight against evil, a struggle that will allow us to regain the peace, calm, and trust of millions of Peruvians," he said in a televised address.
Jeri was sworn in earlier this month after the overthrow of former President Dina Bouarte. He announced a new cabinet last week, pledging to make crime management a top priority.
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The President also faced his first major protests called for by civil society groups and youth from Generation Z who demanded steps to tackle rising crime.
This is not the first time Peru has imposed a state of emergency to address security concerns.
Although former President Bouarte imposed the same 30-day action in March, analysts and security experts say that repeated emergency declarations do little to help reduce crime.