Environmental defender killed in Madre de Dios; Peru tightens control over civil society under new APCI law

Association

Amazon defender killed

On 26th July 2025, two unidentified assailants shot dead environmental defender Hipólito Quispe Huamán in Madre de Dios, an Amazonian region in south-eastern Peru, as he returned home from a local market in Mazuko. The lethal attack took place along the Interoceanic Highway in Inambari province, a major transport route.

Quispe Huamán served as the vice-president of a local farmers’ market and founded the Nueva Esperanza Farmers’ Association. He also served on the Management Committee of the Tambopata National Reserve, a multi-stakeholder body comprising community representatives, public authorities, and concession holders, responsible for overseeing conservation measures. In this role, he worked to oppose illegal mining and protect the reserve’s buffer zone.

In response, the Management Committee called on the government to provide immediate protection measures to Hipólito’s family and strengthen safeguards for human rights defenders in the area. The Committee also expressed concern about the state’s failure to effectively implement the existing protection mechanism for human rights defenders, highlighting in particular the absence of an operational 24-hour emergency response system. According to reports, calls made to the Intersectoral Protection Mechanism, a state-run mechanism intended to respond to risks faced by defenders, went unanswered at the time of the attack.

Representatives from the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH) stated that the mechanism remains under-resourced, with limited staffing and funding, which restricts its capacity to provide timely and adequate protection.

Meanwhile, authorities opened a preliminary investigation into aggravated homicide, led by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. Police indicated that the killing may be linked to illegal mining activities. The Ombudsperson’s Office called for support for the victim’s family.

The killing of Quispe Huamán adds to the pattern of violence in a region heavily affected by illegal mining and other extractive industries, which continue to place communities under sustained pressure.

Two environmental defenders threatened

In May 2025, two environmental defenders reported death threats linked to their work protecting natural resources. On 20th May, environmental defender Edivar Carrasco Vásquez reported death threats in Lambayeque, northern Peru, during a forest inspection in the Chaparrí Ecological Reserve, a protected area managed in coordination with local communities. The National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), the state authority responsible for forest governance, had requested the inspection.

According to reports, masked individuals armed with machetes intercepted Carrasco and issued verbal death threats. Carrasco is a recognised leader of the Muchik Santa Catalina de Chongoyape community.

Following the incident, civil society organisations reported shortcomings in the response by local authorities. The sub-prefect of Chongoyape reportedly refused to grant Carrasco personal protection measures despite his recognised status as a defender, while the National Police allegedly declined to register his complaint, contrary to the state protocol for the protection of human rights defenders.

On the same day, Awajún environmental defender Euner Kajekui reported receiving death threats via social media and phone calls linked to his efforts to protect his territory and surrounding forests in the Amazon, a region affected by illegal mining activity. Civil society organisations called on authorities to urgently activate the Intersectoral mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders to ensure his safety.

Indigenous Wampis patrol attacked amid growing risks

On 12th July 2025, unknown armed assailants attacked a patrol organised by Indigenous Wampis territorial guards in the Peruvian Amazon. The incident occurred near the Wampis community of Fortaleza, in the Bajo Santiago River basin, an area where illegal gold mining has intensified in recent years.

The patrol formed part of a coordinated mission of approximately 60 participants, including Indigenous leaders, community guards and technical staff, tasked with monitoring the environmental impact of illegal mining. According to testimonies, assailants ambushed the group, threw explosives and opened fire on their vehicles. Although no injuries were reported, bullets struck at least one vehicle and pierced a participant’s clothing at chest level.

The incident occurred shortly after the Peruvian government withdrew, without public explanation, from a planned joint enforcement operation with Indigenous authorities aimed at addressing illegal mining in the area. In the absence of state action, the Wampis Nation proceeded with its own monitoring mission.

Civil society organisations, including Amazon Watch, expressed concern over the lack of effective state protection for Indigenous defenders, noting that community-led patrols are confronting organised criminal groups without adequate institutional support.

Amendments to the international cooperation legal framework risk undermining freedom of association

On 14th April 2025, President Dina Boluarte enacted Law No. 32301, amending the legal framework governing the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (Agencia Peruana de Cooperación Internacional, APCI), the state body responsible for supervising international technical cooperation. The reform introduces new obligations requiring civil society organisations to register projects, funding sources and expenditures, and establishes a requirement to obtain prior approval from APCI for activities financed through international cooperation. The implementation of the law remains subject to further regulation, with a 90-day deadline for adopting implementing provisions.

The law extends these requirements to organisations managing international cooperation independently of state entities, thereby expanding the scope of state oversight over civil society, and imposing disproportionate administrative burdens. The reform also grants APCI wide discretionary powers to supervise the “proper use” of financial, technical and logistical resources. It establishes sanctions for the “improper use” of funds, including for activities that “advise, assist or finance” legal or administrative actions against the state, both domestically and internationally.

These provisions may restrict access to justice by limiting the ability of organisations to support victims of human rights violations, including through litigation before national courts and the Inter-American Human Rights System, a regional mechanism that allows people to bring cases against states for alleged human rights violations. International bodies have raised concerns about the law’s impact.

The law also provides for sanctions, including fines of up to 500 tax units (around USD 720,000) and the suspension or cancellation of organisational registration, which may undermine the financial sustainability of civil society organisations and independent media reliant on international cooperation funding.

In response, on 24th April 2025, a coalition of civil society organisations condemned the enactment of the law, stating that it poses a serious threat to the defence of human rights and fails to meet Peru’s obligations to guarantee the rights to freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly, as well as access to justice and the right to petition international bodies.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and four UN experts expressed concern about the potential impact of the reform on organisations representing victims of serious human rights violations. They indicated that the law may affect their ability to carry out human rights activities and provide legal representation.

During congressional debates and at the time of promulgation, authorities, including the country’s president, characterised some civil society organisations as acting against national interests or misusing international cooperation funds. State authorities have maintained that the reform seeks to enhance transparency and align international cooperation with national priorities, and that it does not aim to restrict access to justice.

Court acquits eleven Indigenous defenders after years of criminalisation

On 22nd April 2025, the Criminal Chamber of Appeals of the Superior Court of Justice of Apurímac, a regional appellate court in southern Peru, overturned the 2024 convictions and acquitted Virginia Pinares Ochoa, Rodolfo Abarca Quispe, Lisbeth Abarca Peña, Ronald Andrés Bello Abarca, Juan Pablo Cconislla Gallegos, Maximiliano Huachaca Mamani, Alem Torre Garcés, Jacinto Lima Lucas, Walter Moreano Andrada, Romualdo Ochoa Aysa and Cosme Bolívar Escudero, eleven Indigenous and rural human rights defenders from Cotabambas of all criminal and civil charges. The court found insufficient evidence to establish criminal responsibility and ruled that the determination of civil reparations lacked a proper legal basis.

As previously reported, on 25th July 2024, the Unipersonal Criminal Court of Cotabambas in Apurímac sentenced 11 community leaders to prison terms ranging from eight to nine years. The court found them guilty of aggravated property damage, disturbing the peace and obstructing public services in connection with protests against the Las Bambas mining project. The defendants were also ordered to pay civil reparations, including USD 13,280 to the state and USD 88,000 to the mining company, assigned as “solidary” liability.

The charges stem from protests held in September 2015, during which communities raised concerns about access to information and the absence of prior consultation regarding the environmental impact of the Las Bambas mining project on their territories.

Civil society organisations, including Front Line Defenders, described the prosecution as a form of criminalisation of human rights defenders linked to their work on environmental and community rights in the context of extractive activities. They called on authorities to adopt effective protection measures for affected communities in line with international standards, including Convention No. 169 of the International Labour Organisation.

Decision highlights risks of digital threats against defenders

On 27th May 2025, the Meta Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews content moderation decisions by Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram or Threads), overturned a decision by the company to leave up content targeting a prominent woman human rights defender in Peru, finding that the post constituted a “veiled or implicit threat” under its Violence and Incitement Community Standard policy.

The case concerns a Facebook post shared in July 2024 by a member of La Resistencia, a group known for targeting journalists, civil society organisations and human rights defenders. The post included a digitally manipulated image, likely generated using artificial intelligence, depicting the defender with blood on her face, alongside text alleging corruption and incitement of violence by organisations receiving foreign funding. The content circulated in a context of heightened political tensions in Peru.

Meta initially determined that the post did not violate its policies, concluding that it did not contain a clear threat and could be interpreted as political expression. However, the Oversight Board overturned this assessment, finding that, when analysed in context, the combination of imagery and narrative framing met the threshold of a “veiled threat”. The Board emphasised the relevance of contextual factors, including documented patterns of harassment and attacks against human rights defenders:

Expression

Journalist shot dead in Iquitos as attacks on the press intensify

On 7th May 2025, journalist Raúl Celis López, a reporter for Radio Karibeña, was shot dead in Iquitos, a city in the Amazon region, while travelling to work in the early morning. According to media reports, two assailants on a motorcycle intercepted the mototaxi in which he was travelling and opened fire. Authorities indicated that his belongings were not stolen, raising the possibility that the killing may be linked to his journalistic work. Celis López was known for reporting on police corruption and organised crime.

Several civil society organisations, including the National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), condemned the killing and called for a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation. They urged authorities to prioritise the victim’s professional activities as a potential motive. The ANP stressed the importance of pursuing the “professional line of inquiry”, noting the journalist’s reporting on public authorities.

The killing marks the second reported murder of a journalist in Peru in 2025, following the killing of journalist Gastón Medina in January, reportedly linked to his coverage of local politics. Authorities subsequently detained a suspected perpetrator in that case in May 2025. These incidents indicate a resurgence of lethal violence against journalists, where no killings linked to journalistic work had been recorded since 2017.

Press freedom organisations also raised concerns about a broader climate of hostility towards the press. The ANP documented more than 100 attacks against journalists in 2025, including incidents involving public officials, pointing to a pattern of harassment.

Gunmen target journalist’s home following threats over reporting

On 21st June 2025, unidentified assailants opened fire on the home of journalist Carlos Alarcón, a reporter for Amazonia TV, in Yurimaguas, Loreto region, northern Peru. The attack occurred at approximately 01:45, when gunmen fired multiple shots at the front of his residence. Police recovered 13 bullet casings at the scene, indicating the intensity of the attack.

The attack followed a series of threats directed at Alarcón in the days preceding the incident. According to his testimony to the ANP, he received a WhatsApp message on 16th June containing violent language and explicit references to his journalistic work. The message demanded the removal of a critical publication concerning local political authorities and included threats against him and his family.

The ANP and the IFJ condemned the attack and called for a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation to identify those responsible. They also urged authorities to adopt immediate protection measures to ensure Alarcón’s safety and enable him to continue his journalistic work without interference.

Journalist receives death threats as police refuse to register complaint

On 7th July 2025, journalist Gudelia Gálvez Tafur, director of the news outlet Huaraznoticias.com, reported receiving death threats linked to her reporting on alleged irregularities in public works in Huaraz, Ancash region.

According to her testimony to the ANP, Gálvez received multiple WhatsApp messages on 4th and 5th July containing explicit threats against her life and her family, directly referencing her investigative reporting. On 6th July, she also received a phone call from the same number, indicating a pattern of continued intimidation.

On the same day, Gálvez attempted to file a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Division in Huaraz, accompanied by her lawyer. Police officers reportedly refused to register the complaint, arguing that no “consummated act” had occurred. Gálvez denounced this refusal as a violation of her rights and subsequently filed a complaint with the Ombudsperson’s Office, the state body mandated to oversee public administration and protect fundamental rights, which scheduled a follow-up visit to ensure that the complaint is formally received.

Following public reporting of the case, the Prosecutor’s Office specialising in human rights opened a preliminary investigation and summoned Gálvez to provide testimony, marking the first formal investigative step.

The ANP condemned the police’s refusal to accept the complaint and called for disciplinary action against the officers involved. It also urged authorities to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the threats and to grant immediate protection measures to the journalist.

Journalist faces public vilification, intimidation and threats after reporting on train project

On 18th July 2025, the Municipality of Lima publicly accused the newspaper La República, a major national daily, of sabotaging the “Lima Train” project. Authorities alleged that its journalists had entered a train carriage without authorisation and caused damage to property. The accusations followed the publication of an investigative report examining the condition of second-hand train wagons purchased from the United States of America, which had generated public debate due to concerns about their age and environmental impact.

Journalist Grecia Infante, the author of the report, stated that she accessed the site in Callao, a port city adjacent to Lima, with permission from on-site personnel. She documented the deteriorated condition of the wagons, including visible corrosion and damaged seating, and denied the municipality’s allegations of misconduct.

Following the publication of the report and the municipality’s public statements, Infante reported receiving threats. On 19th July 2025, her mother received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number containing threats against the journalist and her family, including references to close relatives. Infante subsequently reported receiving further threatening messages and closed her social media accounts due to security concerns, indicating an escalation of intimidation.

In response, the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) condemned the threats and criticised the Municipality of Lima for issuing accusations without presenting supporting evidence. It warned that such statements by public authorities may contribute to harassment and stigmatisation of journalists.

Proposed defamation reforms raise concerns over press freedom

As reported in early June 2025 by the European Union System for an Enabling Environment (EU SEE), a consortium of international civil society organisations and network members in 86 countries, the Congress has scheduled a second vote on Bills 4431/2022 and 6718/2023, which seek to increase criminal penalties for defamation and slander, particularly in cases linked to ongoing investigations involving public officials and workers.

The proposed reforms would expand the scope of criminal liability in ways that may affect reporting on matters of public interest, including investigative journalism concerning alleged misconduct by state actors. Media and civil society organisations expressed concern that the bills may restrict investigative reporting and silence critical journalism.

Peaceful Assembly

Student demonstrations met with police intervention

Since mid-April 2025, students from the Faculty of Education Sciences at the National University of Huancavelica, a public university in a central Andean region, have organised demonstrations and sit-ins demanding the resumption of construction works on a new campus, which had remained suspended for over a year due to unresolved technical issues.

According to civil society reports, on 5th May 2025, tensions escalated when officers from the National Police’s Special Services Division intervened to disperse a protest. Police used tear gas, batons and rubber bullets, resulting in several students injured and multiple detentions. The following day, during ongoing efforts to establish dialogue between students and authorities, police detained a student leader, accusing him of stealing a police officer’s mobile phone during the protest.

University authorities condemned the use of force, while students described the police response as excessive. On 8th May 2025, following renewed discussions, the parties reached an agreement, after which students ended their occupation of university premises.