Overview of Human Rights in Peru

The government of Peru generally works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens; however, serious abuses remain.

First, the judicial system is flawed. Witnesses are not protected and many suffer harassment or threats of violence if they testify. Massive case backlogs, prolonged pretrial conditions and long delays between trial and sentencing are problems.

Second, the police and security forces in Peru are known to arbitrarily arrest and detain suspects. Harassment, beatings, abuse, and torture of detainees and inmates are also normal occurrences. The military and security forces act with impunity. Prison conditions remain harsh and in some cases amount to a cruel and inhumane environment.

Third, violence and discrimination occurs against children, minorities and indigenous people of this country. Those with mental and/or physical disabilities also suffer from discrimination and lack of opportunities in society. Child labor is also a concern in the region.

Fourth, human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists are also victims of harassment, threats and attacks from both the authorities and members of society. Human rights abuse cases continue to be transferred to military courts instead civilian courts where they are supposed to be tried.

Finally, Shining Path, an armed opposition group, is active in Peru. It is responsible for ambushes, deaths, and other abuses in the nation.

Note: Variables such as poverty, social unrest, and corruption all negatively impact the ability to vastly improve Peru’s human rights record. 

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

82nd out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.