Peru: Demonstration reported in Lima August 9

Event

Supporters of Keiko Fujimori have reportedly gathered outside the Palace of Justice in Lima on Friday morning (local time), August 9, amid a heightened security presence. The rally comes as the Supreme Court was set to rule on an appeal of Fujimori's 36-month pretrial detention sentence. According to emerging reports, justices delayed their ruling on Friday, prompting some scuffles between protesters and police. 

Significant traffic disruptions are expected in the vicinity of all protest sites, as police may attempt to disperse the gathering.

Context

Keiko Fujimori was arrested in Lima in October 2018 amid an investigation into her alleged role in a money laundering scheme. Fujimori was subsequently ordered to 36-months of pretrial detention.

Fujimori led her father Alberto Fujimori's conservative movement since he fled the country to Japan in 2000 before resigning from the presidency. Her arrest came just days after Peru's Supreme Court ordered her father to return to prison over alleged human rights abuses, overruling the presidential pardon granted to him in December 2017. Keiko and her allies were detained for allegedly receiving contributions worth USD 1.2 million for her 2011 presidential campaign. Prosecutors have been investigating allegations that three former presidents took bribes in the form of campaign donations from Odebrecht in exchange for pledges to have the Brazilian company win local tenders for construction projects. 

Advice

Individuals in Lima are advised to monitor the situation, avoid any public demonstrations as a precaution, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, and anticipate a heightened security presence and transportation and business disruptions.