Peru Extends Lima State of Emergency

PERU · SECURITY

Peru has renewed the emergency covering its capital and main port for 60 more days. Soldiers keep supporting the police while gunmen kill on the streets.

Peru has extended the Lima state of emergency for 60 more days, covering the capital and Callao, the neighbouring port city. The decree, published on Sunday, 25 October, takes effect on Wednesday, 28 October.

The order lets the National Police call on the army against extortion and contract killings. It also allows limits on four civil rights, so mass events need official permission.

What the Lima State of Emergency Allows

Supreme Decree 142-2026-PCM extends the emergency declared by Decree 123-2026-PCM. Peru’s cabinet, the Council of Ministers, is led by Prime Minister Luis Galarreta.

President Keiko Fujimori, who took office on 28 July 2026, heads the government. The order runs 60 calendar days, which by the newsroom’s own day count ends on Saturday, 26 December.

Under Article 137 of the constitution, the decree allows limits on four rights. They are protection of the home from entry, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and personal liberty and security.

Large public religious, cultural and sports events need permission from the competent authorities, who assess each request. Smaller gatherings need no prior approval, and coverage of the decree mentions no curfew.

Who Is in Charge on the Streets

The National Police, known as the PNP, keeps control of internal order, with support from the Armed Forces. Police choose where to operate using intelligence, crime statistics and crime maps.

A joint police and military body, the Unified Command against Organized Crime, stays in place. El Comercio, a Lima daily, reports that the decree calls it a temporary, focused force led day to day by the police.

President Fujimori announced that command on Wednesday, 7 October, with 1,350 personnel and an elite unit. Both police and soldiers must follow the legal rules on the use of force.

The government also created a high-level cabinet commission on security and public order, reported by the official gazette on 14 October. The crime commission report explains what it does and what it cannot do.

Why Lima and Callao Stay Under Emergency

The decree says the aim is to confront crime and other situations of violence. Lima daily El Comercio reports that the police command asked for the extension on 14 October, citing homicide, contract killings and extortion.

Extortion means gangs demand regular payments from businesses, often backed by threats of shooting. El Comercio also counts this as the fifth extension decree of 2026, a tally the official summary does not confirm.

On Sunday, 25 October, five people were shot dead in separate attacks across the two cities in under 24 hours. Killings were reported on Loreto street, in Oquendo, in Ventanilla and in a settlement bordering San Martín de Porres.

Gunmen on a motorcycle also wounded a 71-year-old bus driver in San Juan de Miraflores, who was reportedly stable, according to relatives. In central Lima, a retired police officer and his son were wounded.

Police are investigating every case and have not confirmed motives. They do not rule out extortion in the central Lima attack.

What It Means for US Readers

The US State Department, Washington’s foreign ministry, publishes a travel advisory for Peru with a numbered risk level. That page could not be opened for this report, so check its current level before booking.

Visitors may see more police and soldiers in Lima and Callao. Coverage of the decree describes no new checkpoints.

Companies that organise conferences, concerts or sports events in Lima need authorisation for mass gatherings. The sources reviewed do not say how long approvals take.

Staff travelling to Lima can find local guidance in the Peru security explainer and the Lima city page. The Peru hub tracks the wider political picture.

What Is Not Known

The decree coverage gives no crime targets or earlier results, so whether the extension will reduce killings is open. The 14 October police request and the fifth-extension count rest on one newspaper.

The motives for Sunday’s attacks are unconfirmed. Police say the cases are still under investigation, and the current US advisory level is unverified.

A 60-day order that began on 28 August would end on Monday, 26 October by count. The sources do not say how Tuesday, 27 October is covered.

What Comes Next

The extension takes effect on Wednesday, 28 October. The government must decide before late December whether to renew it again.

An extension does not by itself mean a curfew or a wider military role. The decree keeps the police in command.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Lima state of emergency?

It is a government order limiting four civil rights in Lima and Callao to fight crime. The National Police lead, with Armed Forces support.

How long does the extension last?

It lasts 60 calendar days from Wednesday, 28 October. By a simple day count, that runs through Saturday, 26 December.

Is there a curfew in Lima?

Coverage of the decree mentions no curfew. It describes limits on movement and assembly, and permission rules for mass events.

Is it safe for US travellers to visit Lima?

The current State Department advisory for Peru could not be opened, so check its level before travelling. Sunday attacks hit streets, cars and a bus across both cities.

Why was the emergency extended?

The decree cites crime and other situations of violence. Five people were shot dead on Sunday, 25 October, in separate attacks.

Sources: El Peruano, official gazette, Supreme Decree 142-2026-PCM, 25 October; El Comercio, 25 October; El Popular, 25 October; La República, 26 October; Infobae Perú, 26 October; El Peruano, Unified Command, 9 October; El Peruano, security commission, 14 October (all accessed 26 October 2026).