The amnesty granted by President Dina Boluarte has raised alarms among human rights organizations, suggesting a potential setback in justice for victims of Peru's armed conflict.
Peru President Approves Amnesty Law for Military and Police Atrocities
Peru President Approves Amnesty Law for Military and Police Atrocities
Controversial legislation could nullify ongoing human rights cases linked to the country's past conflict.
In a significant and controversial move, Peru's President Dina Boluarte has enacted a new law that grants amnesty to soldiers, police, and civilian militias who are currently on trial for alleged atrocities committed during the country’s prolonged armed conflict against Maoist insurgents. The law, which she signed despite an urgent request from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to pause its implementation, has drawn widespread criticism both domestically and internationally.
Passed by Congress in July, the new legislation is poised to impact hundreds of military and police personnel as well as self-defense groups accused of committing severe human rights violations from 1980 to 2000. The law also stipulates that those over the age of 70 currently serving sentences for such crimes will be released. The armed conflict against groups like the Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement resulted in the deaths of an estimated 70,000 people and left over 20,000 individuals unaccounted for, according to the findings of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
In defending her action, Boluarte, the first female president of Peru elected in 2022, characterized the law as a tribute to the personnel who fought against terrorism and defended democratic principles. However, numerous human rights organizations have harshly criticized the amnesty as a “betrayal of Peruvian victims” and a significant step backwards in the ongoing struggle for accountability regarding past atrocities. Juanita Goebertus, a director at Human Rights Watch, voiced serious concerns that the legislation undermines years of efforts aimed at holding perpetrators accountable.
Calls from United Nations experts and Amnesty International for the rejection of the bill highlighted that it contravenes Peru's obligations to investigate and prosecute severe abuses, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and sexual violence. The legislation risks halting or reversing more than 600 active trials and 156 convictions related to human rights abuses. Notably, the TRC documented that state agents, particularly military personnel, were responsible for 83% of all cases of sexual violence.
This worrisome pattern of granting amnesty can be seen in previous legislation, including the statute of limitations established last year, which effectively terminated numerous investigations into human rights violations that occurred before 2002. Notably, this legislation benefitted former president Alberto Fujimori, who was serving time for multiple atrocities, including civilian massacres, before his release on humanitarian grounds in 2023. Fujimori passed away in September 2024.
Adding to the political turbulence, former president Martin Vizcarra was also ordered into preventative detention this week, facing allegations of accepting $640,000 in bribes during his tenure as governor from 2011 to 2014. This marks Vizcarra as the fifth former president to be implicated in corruption investigations, highlighting the ongoing legal and ethical challenges in Peru's political landscape.
Passed by Congress in July, the new legislation is poised to impact hundreds of military and police personnel as well as self-defense groups accused of committing severe human rights violations from 1980 to 2000. The law also stipulates that those over the age of 70 currently serving sentences for such crimes will be released. The armed conflict against groups like the Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement resulted in the deaths of an estimated 70,000 people and left over 20,000 individuals unaccounted for, according to the findings of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
In defending her action, Boluarte, the first female president of Peru elected in 2022, characterized the law as a tribute to the personnel who fought against terrorism and defended democratic principles. However, numerous human rights organizations have harshly criticized the amnesty as a “betrayal of Peruvian victims” and a significant step backwards in the ongoing struggle for accountability regarding past atrocities. Juanita Goebertus, a director at Human Rights Watch, voiced serious concerns that the legislation undermines years of efforts aimed at holding perpetrators accountable.
Calls from United Nations experts and Amnesty International for the rejection of the bill highlighted that it contravenes Peru's obligations to investigate and prosecute severe abuses, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and sexual violence. The legislation risks halting or reversing more than 600 active trials and 156 convictions related to human rights abuses. Notably, the TRC documented that state agents, particularly military personnel, were responsible for 83% of all cases of sexual violence.
This worrisome pattern of granting amnesty can be seen in previous legislation, including the statute of limitations established last year, which effectively terminated numerous investigations into human rights violations that occurred before 2002. Notably, this legislation benefitted former president Alberto Fujimori, who was serving time for multiple atrocities, including civilian massacres, before his release on humanitarian grounds in 2023. Fujimori passed away in September 2024.
Adding to the political turbulence, former president Martin Vizcarra was also ordered into preventative detention this week, facing allegations of accepting $640,000 in bribes during his tenure as governor from 2011 to 2014. This marks Vizcarra as the fifth former president to be implicated in corruption investigations, highlighting the ongoing legal and ethical challenges in Peru's political landscape.
