Amnesty International has raised significant concerns following the Peruvian Congress’s approval of an amendment to Law 27692, which establishes the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI). The amendment has sparked fears that it could severely restrict the operations of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country, particularly those advocating for human rights.
The amendment grants authorities greater control over NGOs, requiring them to seek prior approval from the government before using international funds to carry out their work. This move, according to Amnesty, could lead to arbitrary restrictions on civil society activism and potentially result in the exclusion of organizations critical of the government from the APCI registry.
Amnesty’s Executive Director for Peru warned that this reform could also hinder access to justice for victims of human rights violations, as it categorizes legal actions against the state for such violations as a “very serious” offense. This provision may reduce government accountability and foster impunity for human rights abuses.
In a statement, Amnesty urged the Peruvian government to reject the amendment, citing the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights, both of which protect freedoms of expression, association, and participation in public affairs.
The bill has also faced criticism from local civil society groups like the Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL), which condemned it as a tool for silencing NGOs. Indigenous groups in Peru have expressed concerns that the law would further hinder their efforts to defend their lands and rights against governmental and corporate abuses, particularly as many rely on international funds for advocacy.
Peru has previously faced criticism for using legislation to shield the government from accountability for human rights violations, including environmental abuses. In 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the Peruvian state violated the rights of residents in La Oroya due to environmental pollution caused by mining activities.
The approval of this amendment marks another step in a growing trend of regulatory measures that critics argue undermine civil liberties in Peru.
Excerpts from Salma Ben Mariem article, Faculty of Law and Political Science of Sousse, TN, Jurist
Peru Congress Building Picture by Protontorniyo Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
