Alberto Otárola, the President of Peru's Council of Ministers, stated in an interview published on Sunday that it was "too early" to label the declaration of a state of emergency in several districts of the country to combat public insecurity and organized crime as a failure, despite ongoing criminal activities causing deaths and armed attacks in these areas. Otárola emphasized that the evaluation of the state of emergency should be made after the 60 days ends and noted a reduction in crime in some districts of Lima Metropolitana.
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EFE
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Leer en español: Primer Ministro peruano defiende estado de emergencia en medio de aumento de la criminalidad
Alberto Otárola's Evaluation
Alberto Otárola responded that it was "too soon to speak of failure" regarding the declaration of a state of emergency, which was implemented in September in four districts of Lima and others in the northern region of Piura, even though crime continues to result in fatalities and other armed incidents in these jurisdictions. "This will have to be assessed when the 60 days of the state of emergency are concluded; we need to listen to the mayors who are critical but acknowledge the work," said Otárola in an interview with the newspaper El Comercio. The head of the cabinet also mentioned that, after this measure, crime has decreased by 18% in some districts of Lima Metropolitana.
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Measures for Enhanced Security
Furthermore, Otárola reiterated that President Dina Boluarte's government will follow through on purchasing security cameras and two Boeing planes from Canada. Additionally, the Executive branch is working to address the shortage of police officers on the streets and mobile patrol units. "It's a project presented to Congress and needs to be enacted into law. We are pushing for it because we need more police. The President will deliver 500 new patrol cars by the end of the year to enhance public safety," detailed the Prime Minister.
In the interview, Otárola ruled out the possibility of his resignation from the position and instead affirmed that he would continue to be "Dina Boluarte's right-hand man."
