A state of emergency was declared today in five high-security Peruvian prisons, allowing police and the military to take control of them, the government said.
The measure, which will last 60 days, was ordered by the government of President Keiko Fujimori, who has been in office since the end of July, and which aims to combat gangs operating from prisons, Reuters reports.
The military and police will be authorized to monitor and secure the airspace above prisons and mobile phone and internet communications in and around prisons.
The five prisons covered by the emergency measure house about 50 percent of prisoners with gang connections, the government said.
Last week, gunmen disguised as police officers killed four people and kidnapped a mining businessman, police said.
The government asked parliament to declare the gangs "terrorist organizations" by law, but the opposition opposed it.
According to official data, the homicide rate in Peru rose from 10,1 per 100.000 inhabitants in 2024 to 10,7 last year.
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