Thousands protested across Peru against rising violence against women, police culpability and government inaction. The marches were organised as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is marked on November 25.
In the capital Lima, thousands marched on November 23 to protest gender-based violence and highlight the role of police as perpetrators and facilitators of this violence.
In Cusco, protesters drew attention to the government’s inaction and demanded justice for the victims of gender-based violence. The Cusco region has the second-highest rates of femicide in the country.
In Huaraz, a candlelit vigil was held outside the Ancash High Court of Justice on November 25 for the victims of gender-based violence.
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The marches come after a recent spate of horrific femicides, like the brutal murder of 26-year-old Sheyla Cóndor by policeman Darwin Condori in Lima.
Condori invited Cóndor to his apartment on November 13, before killing her, dismembering her and packing her remains into a suitcase.
Condori later committed suicide, and his body was found in a hotel in Lima on November 19.
Apart from the murder being committed by an active police officer, there is significant evidence that police aided the femicide and attempted to help Condori escape arrest.
Cóndor’s mother tried to report her as missing on November 14, but police refused to register her disappearance.
Police at the station reportedly told Cóndor’s mother that “she was already of age, that she had surely gone off with some boyfriend and that she would be back soon. These things happen.”
Only after Cóndor’s mother insisted, did police register her disappearance on November 15 and go to Condori’s apartment the next day, where they found her remains.
At least two police officers rang Condori to ask about Cóndor’s whereabouts and advised him that he was being looked for, which gave him the chance to escape.
Condori had a history of violence against women. Three women filed allegations early last year that Condori and another policeman drugged and raped them.
However, following the allegations, Condori was only imprisoned for two weeks, before being released and allowed to rejoin the police force.
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Patriarchal institution
Peru’s police system is deeply patriarchal — police not only downplay and ignore women’s requests for help, but are also perpetrators of violence against them.
Police stations across the country refused to process at least 28 reports of gender-based violence presented by women this year.
Various policemen from Tacna, in Peru’s south, were found in 2021 to be involved in committing or covering up cases of femicide, sexual abuse and a human sex trafficking ring. One of the officers involved, Jhon Choque, was placed in preliminary detention for a week before being released and rejoining the police force.
Choque was allowed to continue working as a police officer for nearly four years, until he was suspended on November 26 for six months for drugging and repeatedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl.
Police in Peru also enjoy impunity for human rights violations, and the right-wing coup government continues to pass new laws that grant them protection from prosecution.
Disgracefully, government officials even lined up to defend the police following Cóndor’s murder.
President Dina Boluarte told a press conference on November 21: “I ask that we bear in mind that our PNP [National Police] has many valuable members, and its reputation should not be tarnished by the actions of a few bad officers who forget that they are here to serve the nation and their fellow citizens.”
In the same press conference, minister for women Ángela Hernández said that “We have always considered the National Police as allies; they are the first line of support ... Not all police stations act in that way.”
After Cóndor’s death, and before the discovery of Condori’s body, hundreds of people in Lima’s north took to the streets to hold vigil, demand justice for her murder and draw attention to the high rates of femicide in the country.
There were 132 femicides registered between January and October, and 170 cases last year, with the majority committed by partners or ex-partners.
It is estimated that about 80% of girls and women in Peru have been victims of gender-based violence at least once in their life.
However, less than 1% of reported cases of gender-based violence result in the perpetrator being sentenced, reflecting the deeply patriarchal nature of the justice system.
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‘Misogyny is killing us’
Peruvian women’s rights organisation Manuela Ramos released a statement on November 25, signed by 155 human rights, feminist and LGBTIQ organisations, entitled “Misogyny and authoritarianism are killing us”.
It said: “We express our anger at the weakening of public policies aimed at the prevention and eradication of gender-based violence. The setbacks in recognising the structural causes of violence against women severely impact the quality and effectiveness of the care that the state must provide.”
There were 63,727 reported cases of physical violence against women, 71,075 of psychological violence and 12,524 cases of sexual assault in Peru last year — but the actual number is much higher.
“We demand the strengthening of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations,” the statement read, “whose existence is essential to ensure services and preventive policies that tackle the root causes of the problem”.
“Any attempt to dismantle or merge it would be a significant setback, leaving women in the country even more unprotected.”
The statement called for authorities to “prioritise and strengthen specialised care services, which are currently neglected”.
“We demand urgent reforms in the police system to ensure proper care for survivors and their families who report abuse.”
“Indifference to this crisis perpetuates it. The culture of impunity and the pact of silence within institutions and corporations must come to an end.”