The Peruvian government has declared a 30-day state of emergency in Lima and Callao in response to a surge in criminal activity, following the tragic killing of Paul Hambert Flores García, a well-known cumbia singer.
The announcement, made on Monday, grants the military authority to assist law enforcement in restoring order.
President Dina Boluarte also signaled her willingness to expand the scope of the death penalty in Peru, arguing that harsher punishments could help curb rising insecurity.
The move comes after Flores García, a member of the popular cumbia group Armonia 10, was fatally shot while traveling on the band’s bus over the weekend.
The Peruvian Interior Ministry revealed on Sunday that police are treating the incident as a targeted attack.
According to police reports obtained by CNN, assailants fired at the right side of the bus from a motorcycle, striking it three times.
One of the bullets hit Flores García, who was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead due to “cardiorespiratory arrest.”
Investigators have requested access to surveillance footage to aid in identifying the perpetrators.
Authorities have deployed multiple units of the Peruvian National Police in an effort to track down those responsible.
“To these damned murderers, I say that I am seriously considering the death penalty,” Boluarte stated on Monday during an event marking the start of the 2025 school year.
This is not the first time Boluarte has advocated for capital punishment. In December 2024, she voiced support for expanding its use following the murder of a young girl.
Currently, Peru’s Constitution restricts the death penalty to cases of treason in wartime and acts of terrorism. Implementing broader application would require constitutional and legal reforms, as well as Peru’s withdrawal from the Pact of San José, an international treaty that limits the death penalty.
Additionally, Boluarte would need legislative backing, which has been a challenge for some of her other policy proposals.
The recent state of emergency highlights the country’s deepening security crisis.
Public schools have reported extortion threats from criminal groups, leading some to consider shifting to virtual learning, as reported by state broadcaster TV Perú.
Security concerns have been mounting for months. In September 2024, transportation unions staged a strike to protest rising extortion cases and marched toward Congress, pressuring the Boluarte administration to take action.
That protest also led to emergency measures being enacted in various parts of the country.
