Ongoing attacks against environmental defenders, with one park ranger killed

Introduction

UN Expert raises concerns about restrictions and attack on civic freedoms

On 20th May 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, published a report following his official visit to Peru in May 2023. This visit aimed to assess civil freedoms amid widespread protests that began in December 2022. The report raised significant concerns over the excessive use of force by Peruvian security forces, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities, particularly among Indigenous and rural communities. It highlighted that recent legislative changes and prolonged states of emergency have severely restricted rights to peaceful assembly and association, with protesters at times facing criminal charges under counter-terrorism laws. These restrictions, combined with systemic inequalities and persistent discrimination, continue to fuel public dissatisfaction and unrest.

The Special Rapporteur stressed that the Peruvian government must enhance accountability, foster national dialogue, and implement legal reforms to protect freedoms of association and peaceful assembly. He called for reforms to address restrictive measures that criminalise protests, limit freedoms and stigmatise protesters. Recommendations also emphasised improving transparency in security forces’ actions, strengthening the judiciary’s response to human rights violations and addressing entrenched social and economic inequalities. Additional resources and autonomy for the Office of the Ombudsperson are crucial, as is ensuring law enforcement adopts de-escalation protocols and receives training aligned with human rights standards to manage protests without resorting to military or lethal force.

Association

Harakbut park ranger killed amid rising threats from illegal miners in Madre de Dios

On 19th April 2024, unknown attackers ambushed and killed Victorio Dariquebe Gerewa, a 61-year-old indigenous Harakbut park ranger, while he returned to his community of Queros in the Kosñipata district, Paucartambo province, Cusco region. Dariquebe Gerewa, travelling with his 18-year-old son, encountered the assailants, who waited in a white Chevrolet vehicle along his route. Witnesses report one assailant emerged from the car and shot Dariquebe Gerewa fatally in the chest. His son escaped after a struggle with the attackers, sustaining no severe injuries.

According to civil society, illegal miners in Madre de Dios have threatened Dariquebe Gerewa repeatedly since 2023 due to his opposition to mining activities near the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. Following increased threats, Dariquebe Gerewa transferred to the Camanti Quincemil post, further south in the reserve. This relocation aimed to protect him from hostile encounters with illegal miners near his previous post, Mirador Setapo, in the southeastern sector of the reserve.

This killing highlights the urgent need for full implementation of the Park Rangers’ Law, enacted in March 2024, to protect the rights of more than 800 park rangers tasked with safeguarding the country’s natural reserves. This legislation recognises the fundamental role of park rangers, providing them with labour protections, especially in remote and high-risk areas where threats to their safety are amplified.

Illegal mining, narcotrafficking and deforestation present ongoing risks to environmental defenders in the Amarakaeri Reserve, co-managed by indigenous communities and the National Service for Protected Natural Areas (SERNANP). In Kosñipata district, where Dariquebe Gerewa’s murder occurred, coca cultivation surged by 64 per cent between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Commission for Development and Life Without Drugs (DEVIDA).

Indigenous organisations, including the Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries (FENAMAD) and the Harakbut, Yine and Matsiguenga Council (COHARYIMA), publicly demanded a thorough investigation and stronger protective measures for environmental defenders. The organisations emphasised the increasing threats to park rangers and environmental leaders in Peru, citing a dangerous trend for those defending indigenous lands and natural resources. The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP) documented 34 deaths of environmental defenders since 2013, with Dariquebe Gerewa marking the first Harakbut victim.

Attacks against environmental defender in Cajamarca

On 7th May 2024, land and environmental defender Elita Yopla experienced intimidation and physical assault at the border of the El Amaro and Valle Laguna Azul communities, in the municipality of Huasmín. An unidentified woman in a white 4x4 van, accompanied by a grey vehicle, attempted to stab Yopla before fleeing. The attacker threatened further harm, stating that Yopla would no longer receive protection.

On 1st June 2024, less than a month after this incident, three armed men approached Yopla’s home in Huasmín, Cajamarca. Eight peasant patrols stationed as guards responded swiftly, causing the men to retreat. These men have made repeated attempts to intimidate Yopla since February 2024.

Since 2014, Yopla and her husband, César Estrada Chuquilín (a beneficiary of precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights), have reported continuous surveillance, threats and aggression linked to their activism. They have consistently raised concerns regarding potential environmental damage from the Conga mining project, an open-pit gold and copper mine operated by Yanacocha, S.R.L., in the Cajamarca department, temporarily suspended since 2012. Their advocacy work, which includes reporting human rights violations impacting indigenous communities and peasant patrols across Cajamarca, Celendín, Hualgayoc and Bambamarca, has exposed them to persistent harassment.

In response to the ongoing threats, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint initiative of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), called for: “Immediately implement all necessary measures to ensure the safety, physical integrity, and psychological well-being of Elita Yopla, her family members, and all defenders within the Cajamarca Peasant Rounds.”

Indigenous Leaders in Bajo Puinahua face threats

On 15th May 2024, leaders of the Asociación Indígena de Desarrollo y Conservación de Bajo Puinahua (AIDECOBAP) reported receiving threats due to their work defending the water resources of the Bajo Puinahua region in Loreto. The threats, which included text messages and phone calls directed at the leaders and their families, intensified after a meeting held on 10th May 2024 to establish the Integral Basin Council for Water Resource Management.

Communities drawing water from the Puinahua River have suffered repeated contamination due to oil spills, with the most recent incident occurring in early 2024, impacting the river and nearby populations.

The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP) has demanded urgent government action to protect the lives of AIDECOBAP’s president, James Pérez, along with board members and their families.

Attack on Indigenous leader’s home

On 24th April 2024, unknown assailants broke into the home of Apu Miguel Guimaraes, a prominent leader of the Shipibo-Konibo Indigenous people from the Flor de Ucayali community. The attackers burned windows, forced open doors, stole belongings and sprayed threatening messages on the fence, including the phrases “He does not live” and “He will not live” (“No vive” and “No vivirá”).

Guimaraes, vice-president of Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana, AIDESEP) and a member of the Zero Tolerance Initiative Steering Group, was targeted while attending COP 3 of the Escazú Accord in Chile.

This incident occurred amid Guimaraes’ ongoing efforts to raise awareness at national and international levels about the surge of illegal activities within Indigenous territories, including in the Ucayali region. It marks the latest in a series of threats against him in recent years.

AIDESEP condemned the attack, urging authorities to take immediate action to protect Apu Miguel Guimaraes and his family. On 1st May 2024, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor also condemned the attack, calling urgently on the State to "ensure the protection" of Guimaraes.

Threats and violence against human rights defenders in Peru

In recent years, human rights defenders in Peru, especially those defending land and environmental rights, continue to face escalating attacks. Amnesty International’s 2023/2024 report highlighted a concerning regression in Peru’s human rights landscape, with the increasing killings of defenders signalling a hostile climate for environmental protection.

The US State Department’s May 2024 annual report also noted severe threats confronting Indigenous communities from land grabbers, narcotraffickers, extractive industries and illegal mining and logging. According to this report, national and regional governments have not provided adequate protection, failing to secure communities’ property interests and implement necessary legal and security measures.

In April 2021, Peru established the Inter-sectoral Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (Supreme Decree No. 004-2021-JUS) to offer prevention, protection, and access to justice for defenders at risk. Initially, this Mechanism generated optimism in civil society; however, its implementation has remained insufficient, leaving critical protection gaps.

Proposed amendments to APCI law threaten freedom of association

On 5th June 2024, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Peruvian Congress approved a consolidation of six draft laws, forming a Substitute Text that introduces amendments to Law No. 27,692, which governs the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI). If adopted, it would place the right to freedom of association at risk, further weakening civic space.

Congress has framed these amendments as measures intended to enhance transparency, strengthen APCI’s role, and improve the oversight of resources received by entities managing non-reimbursable international technical cooperation (ITC).

The proposed legislative amendments include provisions that significantly extend APCI’s authority over the monitoring and control of foreign funding received by NGOs. This scope now includes a requirement for organisations engaging in “political activism” to register with the APCI. The draft law defines “political activism” broadly, encompassing any organisation using ITC funding to influence public policy or electoral outcomes in favour of foreign private interests, creating an environment conducive to stigmatising civil society involved in policy advocacy or social causes.

The amendments also cap non-bank transaction expenditures to five per cent of total project funds, which would disproportionately impact rural NGOs with limited banking access, hampering project implementation and access to essential funding. It also introduces a system of penalties that range from written warnings to severe fines and full deregistration. Notably, NGOs failing to submit semi-annual reports within three days of an APCI warning could face cancellation of their registration.

Several CSOs have condemned these proposed changes, characterising them as an attack on international cooperation and NGOs. They warned that these measures would restrict freedom of association, hinder citizen participation, impose disproportionate and arbitrary sanctions and allow members of Congress to intervene directly in matters under executive authority.

On 19th June 2024, four UN experts urged the Peruvian government to reexamine these proposed regulations concerning the oversight, control and auditing of NGO funding through a public, inclusive and multisectoral discussion that involves the civil society actors directly affected: “This approach should consider whether a new legal framework is necessary, and if so, develop legislation that facilitates their activities within a context of transparency and legality, recognising the valuable contributions these organisations make to human rights advocacy, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the democratic system.”

Civil society condemns congressional draft law granting impunity for human rights violations

On 6th June 2024, the Peruvian Congress approved draft law 6951/2023-CR, which retroactively establishes the statute of limitations for cases of crimes against humanity. It stipulates that statutory limitations apply to events preceding the implementation of the Rome Statute and the Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. If enacted, the law would affect ongoing investigations and trials related to Peru’s internal armed conflict (1980–2000), halting proceedings and annulling convictions in cases involving significant human rights violations, including those against activists.

CSOs rejected Congress’s decision to approve the bill, labelling it an “amnesty in disguise” that undermines Peru’s obligations to uphold justice for grave human rights violations. The organisations’ joint statement argues that the bill effectively negates the state’s duty to investigate and sanction those responsible for serious crimes, citing multiple rulings from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Ucayali Court convicts four in murder of Ashéninka leaders opposed to illegal logging

On 11th April 2024, the Superior Court of Justice in Ucayali sentenced four individuals to 28 years and three months of imprisonment for their involvement in the 2014 murders of Ashéninka leaders Edwin Chota Valera, Jorge Ríos Pérez, Leoncio Quintisima Meléndez and Francisco Pinedo Ramírez. These Indigenous leaders, known for their vocal opposition to illegal logging in the Alto Tamaya Saweto community, were killed while travelling to meet Indigenous counterparts in Brazil.

This case represents a landmark moment for the families and supporters who have sought justice for nearly a decade, during which illegal logging and other illegal activities in Ucayali have exacerbated security risks for environmental defenders.

The four convicted individuals—logging industry figures Hugo Soria Flores and José Carlos Estrada Huayta, along with Josimar and Segundo Atachi Félix—were found guilty of acting with intent and premeditation in the murders of the Ashéninka leaders. A fifth accused perpetrator, Eurico Mapes Gómez, remains a fugitive after failing to appear in court, with the judicial proceedings against him on hold until his apprehension. The court also awarded civil reparations. However, legal representatives of the families, led by attorney Alberto Caraza Atoche, have indicated the possibility of appealing this amount, citing previous requests for increased reparations based on the impacts endured by the families.

Ucayali remains one of Peru’s most hazardous regions for environmental and human rights defenders, with documented cases of threats, physical violence and homicide risks tied to illegal logging and narco-trafficking. Between 2020 and February 2024, the Ministry of Justice recorded 75 incidents involving 131 defenders in Ucayali, particularly in the districts of Masisea, Irazola and Raimondi. This region also experienced a significant increase in coca cultivation—43 per cent between 2021 and 2022—further contributing to the heightened risks faced by defenders in Alto Tamaya Saweto and surrounding areas.

Civil society pushes Congress towards repeal of “Anti-Forest Law”

On 9th April 2024, the Commission of Andean, Amazonian, and Afro-Peruvian Peoples, Environment and Ecology in Congress approved a proposal to repeal Law No. 31,973, commonly referred to as the “Anti-Forest Law.” Initially enacted by Congress in January 2024, the law has faced widespread criticism for encouraging deforestation and degradation of Amazonian forests, undermining Indigenous rights, as previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor.

Civil society organisation Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (DAR) recently reported on the law’s potential impacts, detailing how its implementation could increase violations and impunity in deforestation-related crimes, weaken protections for environmental defenders and negatively affect Indigenous communities, climate stability, biodiversity, local food security and exports to the European Union. DAR’s report also highlighted Congress’s failure to conduct free, prior and informed consultation with Indigenous communities, reaffirming its obligation to do so in any amendments.

In preparing its opinion, the People's Commission consulted various institutions and organisations, including the Forest and Wildlife Resources Inspectorate (Osinfor), regional Indigenous organisation AIDESEP Ucayali (ORAU), the College of Engineers of Peru (CIP) - Forestry Chapter, the Exporters’ Association (ADEX), the Association of Agricultural Producers’ Guilds of Peru (AGAP) and DAR, alongside other civil society groups.

Peaceful Assembly

Opposition grows against demolition of human rights memorial in Lima

On 27th March 2024, families and victim collectives gathered at the “El Ojo que Llora” memorial in Lima to oppose the Metropolitan Municipality’s proposal to demolish the monument. The memorial, dedicated to victims of Peru’s 1980–2000 conflict, has become a focal point for public remembrance and reflection. However, during this gathering, the group “La Insurgencia” disrupted the event, using hostile language and physically interfering with the protesters. Harassment included throwing water bottles, spitting within the memorial grounds, and shouting phrases such as “destroy that eye” and “they are terrorists.”

On 15th April, a second protest outside the memorial, led by the group “Los Combatientes,” similarly called for the site’s demolition. This demonstration featured chants supporting the removal of the monument and messages circulated in both physical and digital spaces, echoing sentiments like “no more spaces and monuments for terrorism” and “remember the victims of terrorism, not the terrorists.”

In response, five UN experts expressed concern about actions by government entities that threaten the preservation of the memorial, “including Lima Municipality’s demolition request to the Ministry of Culture and Bill No. 1216/2021-CR, which aims to revoke the site’s status as National Cultural Heritage. All state branches and government bodies, at all levels, are reminded of their duty to protect human rights, which includes preserving historical memorials of severe human rights violations and safeguarding memorial initiatives established by victims and civil society. Non-compliance may implicate the Peruvian state’s responsibility.”

Indigenous organisations demand accountability for Saweto murders

On 15th March, organisations, associations and family members marched through the main streets of Pucallpa, in Peru’s Ucayali region, to demand justice for the 2014 murders of four Indigenous leaders.

Led by the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP), the Regional Organisation Aidesep Ucayali (ORAU), the Association of Ashaninka Indigenous Communities of Alto Tamaya (ACONAMAC) and the Organisation of Indigenous Youth of the Ucayali Region (OJIRU), the march called for accountability for the Saweto killings. In recent years, more than 33 Indigenous defenders have been killed.

In February 2023, the courts sentenced the alleged perpetrators to 28 years and three months in prison. However, an appeal overturned the sentence in August, leading to a new trial. On 11th April 2024, the judiciary reconfirmed the 28-year and three-month sentences (see association).

Thousands mobilise against Colpayoc mining project

Between 11th and 16th April 2024, thousands of community members gathered at Cerro Colpayoc in the Chetilla district of Cajamarca to protest the potential environmental impacts of the Colpayoc mining project.

Residents, agrarian producers and members of the Sanitation Service Administrators (Juntas Administradoras de Servicios de Saneamiento, JASS) expressed serious concerns regarding the risks that mining activities may pose to vital water sources, including the Ronquillo and Chetillano rivers, which provide water for local communities and a significant portion of Cajamarca’s population.

Protests over new law designating transgender identities as mental illness

On 17th May 2024, hundreds took to the streets in downtown Lima to protest the recent promulgation of a regulation that considers transgender identity to be a mental health problem, reviving an outdated version of the World Health Organization’s classification system. Protesters engaged in peaceful protest, displaying signs with phrases such as “No more stigmas” and “My identity is not a disease.”

On 10th May 2024, the Ministry of Health published a supreme decree updating the Essential Health Insurance Plan, a list of all health conditions, medicines and procedures that insurers are obliged to cover. In relation to LGBTQI+ people, the decree uses some derogatory and compulsory diagnostic categories, such as transsexualism, gender identity disorder and egodystonic homosexuality. Classifying sexually diverse people as mentally ill is an attack on their dignity. It would also normalise discrimination and increase hate speech.

Expression

Draft law threatens press freedom

On 2nd April 2024, members of Acción Popular introduced draft law No. 7437/2023-CR, titled the “Law for the Transparency of Journalism in Peru,” which seeks to prevent journalists and their relatives from contracting with the state for a period of twelve months following their employment. Currently under review by the Economic, Financial Intelligence and Oversight Commissions, this draft law aims to amend Article 11 of the Law of State Contracting to avoid what it describes as “undue benefits” for journalists. However, the proposal has provoked widespread criticism for its perceived infringement on press freedom.

Legal experts argued that the draft law presumes a potential bias among journalists toward the state if they or their family members hold contracts with it, despite the absence of supporting evidence. The right to personal and professional development, enshrined in Article 2.1 of the Peruvian Constitution, upholds dignity and the freedom to choose one’s career. This legislation would restrict journalists and their families from pursuing various career paths to prevent hypothetical conflicts with the state, thus limiting their right to professional freedom and livelihood.

The National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) condemned the draft law, arguing that these limitations infringe on journalists’ rights and undermine equal employment opportunities for their family members. The ANP contends that such restrictions threaten press independence and the fundamental right to work, calling for the immediate dismissal of the proposal.

Attacks and harassment against journalists

On 21st April 2024, Congressman Darwin Espinoza Vargas, spokesperson for Acción Popular representing Ancash, threatened legal action against journalist Renzo Bambarén of Punto Final following a report on Espinoza’s alleged agreement with Congresswoman Kira Alcarraz to employ his alleged romantic partner in the Social Inclusion Commission. Bambarén’s report referenced multiple sources, including documents, videos and witness testimony. After unsuccessful attempts to get Espinoza's response, Bambarén sent questions via WhatsApp on 20th April. Espinoza responded, urging source verification and warning of legal action if defamatory content was aired.

On 27th April 2024, journalist Reynaldo Coila Mamani from Radio La Decana in Juliaca faced a physical confrontation from Major PNP Henry Antonio Málaga Villa while covering the detention of a suspected thief in San Miguel, San Román. Coila was broadcasting live amid a tense crowd when Major Málaga attempted to seize his phone, causing it to fall and redirected him to “record over there too.” Málaga questioned Coila’s credentials and demanded information on any recordings of crowd hostility toward police. Coila visibly wore his press badge and identified himself as a journalist throughout the incident.

On the following day, ATV Sur journalists Carlos Alberto Armejo Champi, Pamela Amesquita and Aydee Mamani were arbitrarily detained by police for over 30 hours at Arequipa’s Criminal Investigation Directorate (DIRINCRI) headquarters while filming at the Cecamin Arequipa shooting range with management’s permission. Despite identifying as journalists, the team received no explanation for their detention and reported hostile treatment. The detention was reportedly justified under Arequipa’s state of emergency, which the ANP has condemned as arbitrary.

On 10th June 2024, Carlo Pérez Pérez, journalist and director of the monthly publication Poder Sur, reported multiple cyber-attack attempts on his WhatsApp and Facebook accounts and a threatening phone call. Pérez explained to the ANP’s Office of Human Rights that he detected and prevented the hacking attempts thanks to security notifications on his devices. Alongside the cyber-attacks, he reported receiving numerous anonymous calls, one of which included the explicit threat: “we’re going to mess you up”(“te vamos a joder”).

These incidents occurred after Pérez published Poder Sur’s May edition, which highlighted alleged debt incurred by the Provincial Municipality of Mariscal Cáceres – Juanjui for machinery purchases, reportedly impacting the use of funds from the Municipal Compensation Fund (FONCOMUN) for other public works. In response, Mayor Esteban Irene García held a press conference on 20th May, denying the accusations and criticising Pérez’s reporting.

On 24th June 2024, journalist Elvis Pineda Cieza from Radio San Sebastián reported verbal abuse and threats from José Richard Guevara Lara, an associate of Chepén’s Mayor, Julio Salvador Correa Chávez. The incident occurred in a Chepén store where Guevara Lara confronted Pineda with profanities, attempted to have staff deny him service, and threatened, “Today is your last day.” Security intervened and police escorted Pineda safely from the premises. Pineda filed a complaint at the Chepén Police Station and seeks personal protection guarantees from the Provincial Subprefecture.

Between January and April 2024, the ANP reported 119 incidents targeting journalists and media organisations nationwide. The recorded incidents predominantly involved harassment and threats, totalling 60 cases, alongside 23 physical assaults, 13 instances of judicial intimidation, 9 occurrences of restricted information access and 4 cases of public vilification. This data underscores an escalation in targeted actions against journalists, with a particular vulnerability observed among digital media professionals. The perpetrators behind these attacks varied, encompassing civilians (69 cases), public officials (33), security personnel (13), employers (3) and one case from an unidentified source.

Journalist harassment case reopened amid threats

On 15th June 2024, five women journalists reported ongoing sexual harassment, intimidation and death threats by Hialmar Laynes Sánchez. Despite formal complaints, authorities have shown limited response. Ximena Carrasco, a reporter for ATV, indicated that Laynes began sending her harassing messages in December 2023, including explicit threats and demands. After filing a complaint, police conducted an operation at Laynes’s registered address, where he claimed his identity had been stolen, despite not filing any report of identity theft.

In March 2023, two journalists filed complaints against Laynes. After Carrasco’s initial report, the harassment temporarily ceased but resumed with increased intensity in late May, extending to Carrasco’s family, with death threats and explicit images, where Laynes cited influential contacts and impunity. Laynes has ignored protective measures, threatening further retaliation.

The investigation progressed slowly, with a prior case archived and Laynes initially receiving only psychological counselling. Media attention and additional victims prompted authorities to reopen and expand the case. Carrasco cited institutional disorganisation, with the Ministry of Women requesting a psychological assessment, which the police stated was not authorised by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.