Peru's Congress weakens fight against organized crime, watch group says

Miami Herald

09-07-2025

July 9 (UPI) -- Human Rights Watch has warned that Peru's Congress is seriously undermining the judicial system's ability to combat organized crime by passing laws that weaken judges, prosecutors and key institutions.
In a 44-page report released Tuesday, the organization said recent legislative actions have obstructed criminal investigations, advanced private interests and reversed progress on environmental protections.
The Human Rights Watch report, titled Legislating for Impunity, said President Dina Boluarte's administration enabled the congressional agenda by failing to block the reforms and relying primarily on repeated states of emergency in response to rising crime -- measures that suspend constitutional rights without producing effective results against violence or the expansion of criminal networks.
Security conditions in Peru have deteriorated sharply. Between 2018 and 2024, homicides rose 137%, according to the National Police. More than half of the killings recorded in 2024 were carried out by hired killers, and preliminary figures for 2025 point to a new record.
The country also has seen a sustained wave of extortion -- particularly in urban areas and the cargo transport sector -- that reached historic levels in 2023 and continues to rise.
Between 2023 and 2024, Peru's homicide rate increased 75% -- the highest in Latin America -- according to Juanita Goebertus, director of the Human Rights Watch Americas Division. She said Congress, with backing from the executive branch, has taken steps that weaken the few tools the state has to combat organized crime.
The report outlines how Congress has undermined judicial independence and weakened the ability of prosecutors and judges to operate effectively.
Among other measures, lawmakers have limited plea agreements -- an essential tool for dismantling criminal networks -- redefined 'organized crime' in the penal code to exclude corruption offenses, obstructed search warrants and promoted the arbitrary removal of judges investigating sensitive cases.
Congress also has passed legislation that weakens environmental protections, the report said, including laws that retroactively legalize large-scale illegal deforestation and shield illegal miners from criminal prosecution.
Illegal mining -- especially small-scale gold mining -- has surged in recent years and is now the leading offense linked to money laundering. According to government data, 44% of the gold Peru exports comes from illegal mining, an industry estimated to generate $12 billion a year.
Freedom of expression and the work of civil society organizations also are under threat. In March 2025, Congress passed a law expanding state oversight of journalists and Non-governmental organizations that receive international funding -- a move Human Rights Watch describes as an attempt to restrict public scrutiny and independent activity.
Public trust in institutions continues to erode. According to polls conducted in June, only 4% of Peruvians approve of President Dina Boluarte's performance.
Support for Congress is even lower -- just 2% approve of its work, while 95% disapprove. More than half of lawmakers are under investigation for corruption or other crimes.
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