Peru: State of emergency extended in VRAEM region April 4

Event

Peruvian authorities announced that a state of emergency would be extended for 60 days in parts of the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) region on Wednesday, April 4, due to planned security operations targeting criminal groups and drug traffickers. The state of emergency will affect the provinces of Huanta, La Mar, Churcampa, Tayacaja, La Convencion, Concepcion, Huancayo, and Satipa.

Under the state of emergency, the National Police (PNP), with the support of the military, will control of security in the abovementioned areas, and some constitutional rights will be suspended, including the freedoms to assemble and move freely.

Context

The VRAEM region (Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers) was largely ignored by the Peruvian government until 2006, allowing criminal groups to thrive and poverty rates to remain extremely high. Joint police and army patrols are now regularly carried out in the area. According to the UN, one-third of the cocaine produced worldwide comes from this area, totaling up to 400 tons per year. The Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) remains Peru's largest armed group, although its level of activity has fallen sharply since its peak in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, its members are principally involved in drug trafficking, concentrated in the VRAEM region.

Advice

Due to the presence of armed groups, some Western governments advise against travel to the VRAEM region, as well as the Huánuco region and areas along the Colombian border.