The brutal murder of a teacher in the presence of students in Lima, Peru, has sparked public outrage, bringing the city’s increasing gang violence into the limelight. Strikes and protests have erupted throughout the capital, illustrating the expanding influence of organized crime and extortion rackets that are financially draining the country.
On Monday, October 14, 2024, Julio César Pacheco, a teacher, was shot dead at the entrance of Julio C Tello school, located in the labour-intensive Ate Vitarte district of Lima. The shocking scene, captured by CCTV cameras, showed terrified children scattering as Pacheco’s body lay motionless inside the school’s blue metal gates after being shot by a killer disguised as a delivery man.
As night fell, mothers gathered outside the school, demanding justice for the slain teacher.
This audacious daylight murder has become a catalyst for Peruvians already frustrated with surging crime rates and ineffective government responses. Workers from diverse industries, such as transportation and retail, have initiated strikes to express their dissatisfaction with poor law enforcement and recent legislations perceived as undermining crime-fighting efforts.
The issue of organized crime in Peru extends well beyond this single incident. The nation is grappling with a complex criminal landscape, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and widespread extortion.
Recent reports suggest that nearly half of Lima’s 23,000 shop owners fall victim to extortion, shelling out between $25 and $1,000 every month to criminal organizations. The transportation sector is even more heavily affected, with seven out of 10 transport companies making regular extortion payments averaging $4,000 monthly.
The economic impact on Peru is significant. Extortion alone costs the country more than $1.6 billion annually, the equivalent of 0.7% of its national GDP. When factoring in overall costs, the figure spikes to $9.28 billion, or 3.5% of GDP.
Amid public discontent is a contentious new law, labeled “pro-organized crime” by its detractors. The legislation no longer categorizes extortion and assassination as organized crime offenses, potentially leading to lighter sentences. It also introduces new limitations on police raids, necessitating the presence of suspects’ legal representatives – a development experts fear could enable criminals to obliterate evidence.
President Dina Boluarte of Peru has proposed lengthier prison terms and has sent soldiers onto the streets. However, these measures have been criticized as short-term solutions that do not address the root causes of the country’s organized crime problem.
The surge in violence is not limited to Lima. In Trujillo, the third-largest city in Peru, 20 private schools have been under military protection since June due to extortion threats. This situation highlights how criminal groups are exploiting educational institutions as profitable sources of income. “In Trujillo, all businessmen pay quotas to extortionists,” security analyst Pedro Yaranga Quispe told InSight Crime. “Even the illegal taxi drivers have to pay.”
As Peru grapples with this multifaceted wave of crime, law enforcement agencies face enormous challenges. Government corruption, the influence of international criminal syndicates, and the nation’s ongoing political instability all contribute to a climate where organized crime continues to flourish.