Lima, Peru (AP) – The Peruvian president declared a state of emergency on Monday and ordered the deployment of soldiers to help police resolve the surge in violence, a widespread outcry the day after the killing of a popular singer.
President Dina Boluarte’s administration has issued a decree saying that the state of emergency will last for 30 days and that authorities will restrict some rights, including parliamentary freedoms and actions. This means that police and the Army will be able to detain people without judicial orders.
In recent months, murders, violent blackmail and attacks on public places have been discovered in Peru. Police reported 459 killings from January 1 to March 16, and 1,909 recidivist reports were reported in January alone. But the anger was shaking after the killing of Paul Flores, 10, the 39-year-old lead singer of the Cambia band, killed Sunday.
In Congress, opposition MPs demanded plans for what Home Minister Juan José Santiváñez said lack of plans to combat the rise of violence. The vote is expected to be discussed in the plenary session of Congress later this week.
Flores was shot dead earlier Sunday when attackers attacked the bus he and his band members traveled after a concert in Lima. Cumbia is a Latin style of music where people dance at the rhythm of drums, Maracas and other instruments.
The attack on the popular singer wasn’t the only violence on the weekend. An object exploded in a restaurant in the capital on Saturday, and at least 11 people were injured.
The Boruart government has previously issued a state of emergency in an attempt to stop violence between September and December.
