Peru imposes emergency rule on five high-security prisons to curb gang influence

On Saturday, Peru announced a state of emergency lasting 60 days in five maximum-security prisons, giving police and military units authority to take direct control of the sites and the immediate airspace and electromagnetic spectrum. The decree, signed by President Keiko Fujimori, targets criminal organizations that allegedly coordinate external crimes from within the prison system, with the selected facilities containing about 50% of inmates tied to such groups.

The decision comes amid rising homicide rates, which reached 10.7 per 100,000 people last year, and a recent incident in the country's north where disguised gunmen killed four individuals and kidnapped a mining businessman, who was freed after a ransom was paid. The government has also requested a 120-day legislative window to label these gangs as terrorist entities, a measure that the opposition in Congress has contested. Authorities say the emergency powers will enable swift action to disrupt gang communications and prevent further violence.