Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, has enacted a contentious new law granting amnesty to hundreds of soldiers, police forces, and civilian militias facing charges for atrocities committed during the nation’s two-decade conflict against Maoist insurgents. The law, which was passed by Congress in July, comes despite the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordering a suspension for reevaluation due to its potential adverse effects on victims.
This newly effected legislation could lead to the release of numerous individuals involved in human rights violations that occurred between 1980 and 2000, including members of the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru rebel groups. The conflict resulted in approximately 70,000 deaths and over 20,000 enforced disappearances, as stated by Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
President Boluarte, who made history as Peru’s first female leader when she took office in 2022, defended the amnesty as a tribute to those she claims defended democracy and fought against terrorism. However, human rights advocates have sharply criticized the move. Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the law as a “betrayal of Peruvian victims” and detrimental to decades-long efforts aimed at establishing accountability for wartime atrocities.
The international community has also raised concerns, with United Nations experts and Amnesty International urging Boluarte to veto the bill, as it could impede the investigation and prosecution of serious violations, including extrajudicial killings and torture. The TRC’s findings indicate that state agents, especially the military, were responsible for 83% of documented sexual violence cases during the conflict.
Last year, Peru's enactment of a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity before 2002 effectively closed off numerous investigations related to the violence. This legal shift has benefitted former president Alberto Fujimori, convicted for atrocities but released on humanitarian grounds before his death in September 2024.
In other political news, former president Martin Vizcarra was placed in preventative detention for five months amid allegations of bribery, marking him as the fifth former leader implicated in corruption scandals.
