Peru's President Signs Law Granting Amnesty to Armed Forces Amid Human Rights Concerns

Peru's President Dina Boluarte has enacted a controversial law, granting amnesty to military and police personnel accused of human rights abuses during a two-decade conflict. Critics warn that this undermines accountability for severe violations.

Amid growing unrest and criticism, President Dina Boluarte of Peru has signed a law that grants amnesty to soldiers, police, and civilian militias accused of committing severe human rights abuses during the nation’s conflict with Maoist guerilla groups, particularly the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. This controversial law, which passed through Congress in July, offers pardons to those implicated in crimes committed between 1980 and 2000, including the release of individuals over the age of 70 currently serving sentences for such offenses.

Boluarte, who made history as Peru's first female president after her election in 2022, framed the decision as a tribute to the security forces who she claimed valiantly defended democracy against terrorism. "This law should be appreciated as recognition of the efforts made to defeat terrorism," she stated during a press briefing.

However, the decision has reignited fierce backlash from human rights organizations and international watchdogs. Juanita Goebertus, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, decried the law as a "betrayal of Peruvian victims," claiming it undermines years of progress toward accountability for past atrocities. United Nations experts along with Amnesty International argued that the law violated Peru's legal obligations to investigate serious human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

The impact of this amnesty law could be significant, potentially halting or reversing over 600 pending legal cases and 156 convictions linked to human rights violations during the conflict. According to the findings of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), state agents—predominantly the armed forces—were responsible for the majority of recorded incidents of sexual violence during this turbulent period.

Last year, Peru also adopted a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity that occurred before 2002, leading to the closure of numerous investigations into alleged crimes from the conflict era. This move notably affected former president Alberto Fujimori, who had been convicted of human rights violations, including ordering massacres against civilians, but was released from prison on humanitarian grounds in 2023 before passing away in September 2024.