Peru declares state of emergency in five high-security prisons over organised crime
The Peruvian government suspends constitutional rights in five maximum-security prisons for 60 days to curb criminal gangs operating from within the facilities.
Five prisons under state of emergency to cut criminal command from within
The government of Peru declared a 60-day state of emergency in five high-security penitentiary facilities, according to bloomberglinea.com. The measure, formalised through Supreme Decree No. 128-2026-PCM under the presidency of Keiko Fujimori, seeks to dismantle criminal organisations that, according to the Executive, direct illicit activities from inside the prisons to the outside.
The prisons affected by the decree are Challapalca, in Tacna; Cochamarca, in Pasco; Miguel Castro Castro and Ancón I, in Lima; and Trujillo Varones, in La Libertad. Together they concentrate approximately 50% of inmates linked to criminal organisations in the country, according to official figures.
Suspension of rights and military control within the perimeter
The state of emergency also covers a perimeter of up to 200 metres around each establishment. In that zone, constitutional rights relating to freedom of movement, assembly and personal security are temporarily suspended.
The National Police will maintain public order in the external perimeters with support from the Armed Forces. Operations will include access controls, intelligence work to prevent escapes, and surveillance of airspace and the immediate electromagnetic spectrum of the prisons. The National Penitentiary Institute (INPE) will continue to be in charge of the internal administration and custody of the facilities.
The government also announced permanent operations to seize mobile phones, SIM cards and weapons that might be in the possession of inmates.
Integrated intelligence and inmate redistribution
The Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Ernesto Álvarez Miranda, noted that the emergency should not be limited to traditional searches, but should strengthen penitentiary intelligence. Álvarez proposed integrating the INPE intelligence systems with those of the National Police and the Armed Forces to understand the internal functioning of organisations and detect possible cases of corruption among penitentiary officials.
The minister also announced a redistribution of inmates according to their level of dangerousness and the type of crime committed, with the aim of preventing high-dangerousness inmates from sharing spaces with persons who have not committed violent crimes. The authorities also foresee differentiating penitentiary benefits according to the crime, dangerousness and behaviour of each inmate; for members of organisations whose members continue to commit crimes, those benefits could be temporarily suspended.
Congress under pressure as violence escalates
The decision comes as the Executive awaits Congress's evaluation of its request for legislative powers for 120 days to adopt new measures against insecurity. Prime Minister Luis Galarreta stated that the government will continue acting whilst awaiting Parliament's response and maintained that, with the requested powers, it will be able to act "with greater force".
Among the proposals presented to Congress is the possibility of designating certain criminal organisations as "terrorists" and expanding the State's legal tools to confront organised crime.
The offensive occurs in a context of growing concern over insecurity. Peru's homicide rate rose to 10.7 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025, compared to 10.1 recorded in 2024, according to official data.
Guarantees of rights despite restrictions
The decree establishes that, despite the restrictions contemplated during the state of emergency, the rights to life, personal integrity, health, defence and due process must be guaranteed, in accordance with the American Convention on Human Rights.
The Armed Forces have already begun reconnaissance of the external perimeters of the five facilities. At the Trujillo Varones El Milagro prison, in La Libertad, measurements were carried out to determine the space where a military checkpoint will be installed.
Source: Google News PE — Crime