Peru declares state of emergency in parts of capital after crime spike

FILE PHOTO: Peru's President Dina Boluarte speaks as she meets with foreign press, in Lima, Peru January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File Photo

LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte said on Monday her government has declared a state of emergency in three districts hit by a spike in crime, a measure that allows the military to help enforce security.

The emergency status was declared in the districts of San Juan de Lurigancho and San Martin de Porras, both in the capital Lima, and in the northern district of Talara, Boluarte said in a statement, adding in an interview that the measure aimed to raise a "frontal fight against crime and organized crime."