Regime response: will the introduction of emergency situations help stop the protests in Peru

The Peruvian authorities are preparing to declare a state of emergency in the capital in the near future, and possibly impose a curfew, the Prime Minister of the republic announced on the night of October 17. Mass protests have engulfed the country, there are about a hundred victims and one dead. Security problems and rampant crime have overlapped with the unstable political situation in Peru, where just a week ago a new president was appointed, the seventh in the last seven years. What the protests will lead to is in the Izvestia article.

The reaction of the Peruvian authorities to the protests

A state of emergency and a "package of concrete and effective measures" will be introduced in Lima in the near future, Peruvian Prime Minister Ernesto Alvarez announced on Thursday night amid ongoing protests. He clarified that the authorities may also impose a curfew and restrict the movement of motorcyclists in 43 districts of the capital.

Large-scale protests began in Peru on the evening of October 15. Thousands of people took to the streets in 15 regions of the country, including representatives of the so-called Generation Z, transport workers, university students, and trade union members. The protesters in the capital reached the congress building, where clashes with the police began. As a result, according to the Peruvian authorities, 89 policemen and 22 civilians were injured, among them an 11-year-old girl who was hit by a tear bomb.

There is also a deceased, 32-year-old musician Eduardo Ruiz died from a gunshot from one of the policemen. The death of a protester caused a wave of discontent both among those who were on the street with him and in the Congress of the Republic. A representative of the People's Democratic Bloc has filed a constitutional complaint against interim President Jose Heri, Prime Minister Ernesto Alvarez and Interior Minister Vicente Tiburcio Orbezo.

— Unlike Madagascar and Nepal, where there were Generation Z protests, in Peru they are more related to political and socio-economic reasons that have been going on for a long time. One of the main problems with all stocks in Peru is that they don't have a clear leader. In addition, their organization through social networks is difficult in rural areas, most often they occur spontaneously," says Viktor Kheifets, professor at the Faculty of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University.

According to the expert, it will also be difficult for the authorities in Peru to neutralize the protest, since there are no parties in the republic that the majority would trust.

— If the protests expand and get stronger, the current president may have problems. If they do not expand, but simply continue, time will work for the authorities. How did it go with ex-President Dina Boluarte," the expert continues.

From December 2022 to October 2025, more than 500 protests took place against Dina Boluarte, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 people, according to the Peruvian press.

The political situation in Peru

Jose Heri was appointed president just a week ago, immediately after Congress unanimously voted to impeach Dina Boluarte because of her "moral incapacity" — the politician is accused, in particular, of a failed policy in the field of combating crime.

Its victims are mainly the working class. Homicides, according to the Peruvian prosecutor's office, increased from 676 in 2017 to more than 2,000 in 2024. At the same time, complaints of extortion increased from 2.3 thousand in 2020 to 21.7 thousand in 2024.

In recent weeks, killings and attacks by members of groups from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador have increased in Lima. The presence of the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua is reported in the country. In some areas of the capital, according to local residents, armed groups are even imposing curfews and blackmailing small business owners.

Prior to his appointment as president (he will rule until the 2026 elections), Jose Heri served as chairman of the Congress. He promised to solve the problem of criminal gangs and guaranteed a transparent electoral process. In particular, he planned to increase prison sentences for serious offenses and strengthen prison control. Nevertheless, Heri's attempts have met with criticism from the opposition and NGOs, as they believe that declaring a special status in the country could lead to violations of civil rights and even more protests in an already polarized society.

Heri's figure itself has also met with a lot of criticism. Earlier, an investigation was conducted against him about alleged violence against a woman, the case was moved to the archive, however, this did not prevent several dozen protesting girls from shouting "Heri is a rapist!"

In addition, the protesters criticize Heri for the fact that, being part of the congress, he voted for laws that interfere with the fight against crime. We are talking about amendments that abolished the pre-trial detention of suspects in some cases, prohibited the recognition of a political party as a criminal group, and also complicated the process of confiscating the property of criminals.

It is difficult to predict whether a change of power will take place in Peru in the months remaining before the presidential election, but this possibility cannot be completely ruled out. Jose Heri has become the seventh head of state in the last seven years. The last president to rule for the five years approved by law was Ollanta Humala. In 2016, he was replaced by Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who stayed in power for 601 days. Martin Vizcarra succeeded him and lasted 955 days, Manuel Merino's reign lasted five days, then Francisco Sagasti replaced him for 254 days. Pedro Castillo won the 2021 elections, but he stayed in power for just over a year - 497 days, after which he was ousted by Dina Boluarte for 1034 days.