The brutal murder of a teacher in the presence of his students in Lima, Peru, has brought the nation’s escalating gang problem to the forefront. The incident has sparked widespread protests and strikes across Peru’s capital, underlining the expansive influence of organized crime and extortion rackets that are crippling the country’s economy.
On Monday, October 14, 2024, an assassin disguised as a courier shot Julio César Pacheco, a teacher at Julio C Tello school, located in the working-class Ate Vitarte neighborhood of Lima. CCTV footage captured the scene as terrified students ran for safety while Pacheco’s body lay motionless inside the school’s blue metal gates.
Later that night, a group of mothers gathered outside the school, demanding justice for the slain teacher.
The audacious daylight murder has incited widespread discontent among Peruvians, who are frustrated with rampant crime and lackluster government response. Workers from various industries, including transportation and retail, have initiated strikes to voice their dissatisfaction with inadequate law enforcement and recent legal changes perceived as undermining anti-crime efforts.
Peru’s issue with organized crime is not confined to this single incident. The country is grappling with a complex criminal landscape that encompasses drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and widespread extortion.
Recent reports suggest that nearly half of Lima’s 23,000 shopkeepers fall victim to extortion, paying between $25 and $1,000 monthly to criminal groups. The transportation sector is even more heavily affected, with seven out of 10 transport companies making extortion payments averaging $4,000 monthly.
The economic impact on Peru is staggering. Extortion alone costs the nation over $1.6 billion each year, representing roughly 0.7% of its national GDP. When considering the overall costs, this figure escalates to $9.28 billion, or 3.5% of the GDP.
The public’s frustration has been exasperated by a new law, which critics have labeled as “pro-organized crime.” The legislation no longer categorizes extortion and assassination as organized crime offenses, potentially leading to reduced sentences. Additionally, it imposes new restrictions on police raids, mandating the presence of suspects’ legal representatives, a move that experts fear may allow criminals to destroy evidence.
In response to the growing unrest, Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has proposed extended prison terms and deployed soldiers onto the streets. However, these measures have been criticized as short-term solutions that fail to address the root causes of the country’s organized crime problem.
The rise in violence is not just confined to Lima. In Trujillo, Peru’s third-largest city, 20 private schools have been under military protection since June due to extortion threats. This situation highlights how criminal groups are targeting 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 continues to combat this complex wave of crime, the challenges faced by law enforcement are immense. Factors such as governmental corruption, the influence of international criminal organizations, and the nation’s ongoing political instability all contribute to a climate where organized crime continues to flourish.
