Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
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Peru has declared a state of emergency in Lima due to a crime wave, following the shooting of singer Paul Flores. Military forces are deployed to restore order.
LIMA (Reuters) -Peru's government declared on Monday a state of emergency in the capital Lima while it also deployed soldiers to the streets to help quell a recent surge of violence that claimed the life of a popular singer.
The death of prominent cumbia musician Paul Flores early Sunday provoked popular outrage, after the bus he was traveling in came under fire from unknown armed assailants. Flores died after he was shot, according to police.
The crime wave, including a jump in extortion rackets, prompted President Dina Boluarte to declare that she would like to see murderers face the death penalty, even though Peru only allows execution for convicted traitors.
The 30-day emergency decree applies to Lima as well as in neighboring Callao province and grants authorities additional powers to deploy the military to combat lawlessness.
In recent years, officials in Peru have repeatedly declared emergencies when criminal activity or social unrest spikes.
The government moves on Monday follow weeks of escalating violence blamed on criminal groups that often target businesses, including transport companies, even as authorities have touted recent gang arrests.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by David Alire Garcia)
The main topic is the state of emergency declared in Lima, Peru, due to a surge in crime, including the shooting of singer Paul Flores.
The state of emergency was declared due to a surge in violence and crime, including extortion rackets and the murder of singer Paul Flores.
The government has deployed military forces to the streets and granted additional powers to authorities to combat the crime wave.
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