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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Peru declares emergency in five prisons housing criminal gangs

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Official statement Approved/passed
  • Peru declared a 60-day emergency at five prisons that hold about half of the country’s inmates linked to criminal organizations.
  • Police, supported by the armed forces, will secure prison perimeters, control access and conduct intelligence operations to prevent escapes.
  • The measure follows concern that criminal groups have directed kidnappings, extortion and contract killings from inside prisons.

Peru has declared a state of emergency at five prisons holding around half of the country’s inmates linked to criminal organizations, giving the National Police control of internal order with support from the armed forces.

The 60-day measure covers the prisons of Challapalca in Tacna, Cochamarca in Pasco, Miguel Castro Castro and Ancón I in Lima, and Trujillo Varones in La Libertad. It also applies to areas extending 200 meters outside the prisons. Within that perimeter, constitutional rights to freedom of movement, assembly and personal security are suspended under the decree.

Police, backed by the military, will secure the exterior perimeter, nearby airspace and electromagnetic spectrum. The operations include strict access controls and intelligence work aimed at preventing escapes, according to a statement from the presidency. Authorities will also conduct permanent operations to seize mobile phones, SIM cards and weapons, working with the special operations group of Peru’s prison institute, INPE. INPE will retain responsibility for the internal administration and custody of the prisons.

The government said the measure would fully protect the rights to life, personal integrity, health, defense and due process in line with the American Convention on Human Rights. It said the emergency declaration seeks to confront criminal organizations that direct crimes from prison, following high-profile cases involving kidnapping, extortion and contract killings.

The latest cited case was the kidnapping of a mining businessman in Trujillo, northern Peru, and the killing of his four companions. A group of men allegedly posed as police officers during the early-morning attack. Peruvian authorities attributed the kidnapping to the Los Pulpos gang. Its leader, Jhonsson Cruz, was detained in Bolivia and expelled to Peru to face an earlier homicide conviction and other organized-crime charges.

Prime Minister Luis Galarreta said the government was awaiting approval of a request for delegated powers to legislate on citizen security.

the government, through its various sectors

· Luis GalarretaThe prime minister was quoted while discussing the government’s pending request for delegated powers on citizen security.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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