Peru declares state of emergency at five prisons, citing high danger and overcrowding

Peru has declared a state of emergency at five prisons it considers highly dangerous, placing public security forces in charge of controlling the facilities and their surrounding areas for 60 days.

The decree, published in the state newspaper El Peruano, covers Challapalca, Cochamarca, Trujillo Varones, Miguel Castro Castro and Ancón I. The last two prisons are in Lima. The government cited disturbances to public order and overcrowding as the grounds for the measure.

A technical report cited in the decree said the five prisons hold nearly half of all inmates linked to criminal organizations and present a highly dangerous situation. It also pointed to 156% overcrowding across Peru's prison system, a shortage of prison guards and the repeated discovery of prohibited items, including weapons and mobile phones, despite searches.

During the emergency, police backed by the armed forces will control internal order in the prisons and the surrounding perimeter. The decree also restricts freedom of movement and assembly for people entering or passing through the area.

Fujimori promised a hard-line policy against organized crime, drug trafficking and other offenses when she took office at the end of July. The article said many of those crimes are directed from inside prisons. In 2025, Peru's Economy Ministry estimated that insecurity costs the national economy the equivalent of 1.7% of gross domestic product, or about $5 billion a year.

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present a highly dangerous situation