Peru Prosecutors Flag US$1 Billion Budget Shortfall

PERU · SECURITY

Peru’s attorney general says the prosecution service cannot meet its goals, just as the government opens a military-police offensive against organised crime.

Peru prosecutors say their service is short of S/3,561.5 million (about US$1.04 billion) for 2027, or 51.6% of what it needs. Peru belongs to the US-backed Shield of the Americas pact, which plans to prosecute supporters of drug gangs.

Attorney General Tomás Gálvez presented the figures to Congress’s joint budget committee, the Public Ministry said on Wednesday, 7 October. That same day, President Keiko Fujimori launched a unified military and police command against crime.

What the Attorney General Told Congress

Gálvez heads the Public Ministry, Peru’s autonomous prosecution service, which investigates crimes and brings cases to court. He asked the committee, which brings together senators and deputies, for S/6,902.1 million (about US$2.0 billion) for 2027.

He warned that leaving prosecutors unfunded while crime must be confronted would mean abandoning their duty to pursue criminals. He called it “a serious situation” that needs urgent attention.

He also asked for an urgent extra S/232.5 million (about US$68 million) to keep offices running for the rest of 2026. Latina Noticias reported that he wants the Public Ministry included in a supplementary spending bill the executive has requested.

Conversions use the Central Reserve Bank of Peru’s banking-system selling rate of Tuesday, 6 October: S/3.437 per US dollar.

Where Peru Prosecutors Are Short of Money

The office projects nearly 3 million cases in 2026, handled by 8,454 prosecutors and 5,435 assistants in 1,472 offices. A simple division of those figures gives roughly 350 cases per prosecutor.

For comparison, the Interior Ministry presented a budget of S/14,270 million (about US$4.15 billion) to the same committee on Monday, 5 October. Most of that, S/12,196 million (about US$3.55 billion), is for the National Police.

Gálvez said 426 of its 580 premises are in vulnerable condition, and 18,335 computers are more than nine years old. Some 4,687 prosecutors, more than half, hold provisional posts and need permanent appointments.

The Institute of Legal Medicine, the forensic service, has 3,935 requests without an assigned expert, or 34.3% of the total. About 17.8% of the vehicle fleet, 196 vehicles, is out of service.

The squeeze limits work on cybercrime, extortion and flagrancy units, fast-track units for suspects caught in the act. The judiciary said on Tuesday, 6 October, that flagrancy units have imposed sentences of up to life in prison for extortion.

Drug Cases Lead the Crackdown

Prosecutors have run 825 operations against crime so far in 2026, the Public Ministry said. Drug trafficking accounted for 417, followed by 322 environmental, 55 organised-crime and 31 corruption operations.

Environmental prosecutors also lead raids on illegal mining, according to recent Public Ministry statements. Gálvez said the office wants to consolidate cases on organised crime, illegal mining, drug trafficking and money laundering.

He said a special subsystem against extortion and contract killings will open soon in La Libertad, the northern region around Trujillo. Justice Minister Ernesto Álvarez told senators in September that it would start in October.

The plea came as Fujimori, of the conservative Fuerza Popular party, presented a combined force of 1,350 troops and police. She told the ceremony it was time to “start a new stage” against crime.

What It Means for You

For US policy, the gap hits a partner in Washington’s security push. Peru joined the Shield of the Americas statement, which plans asset freezes, visa restrictions and prosecution of supporters of 24 groups.

Criminal cases under that plan need prosecutors, and Peru’s say half their 2027 budget is missing. Gaps in forensics and computers can slow drug and money-laundering cases, which the office lists as priorities.

US Homeland Security Investigations works with a vetted Peruvian police unit, the US Embassy in Lima said in September. That unit’s cases include illegal gold mining and Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang targeted by US sanctions.

For US travellers, the State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory updated on Friday, 4 September. It says do not travel to the VRAEM valleys or the Colombia border area of Loreto, among other areas.

What Is Not Known

The statement did not say how much the executive’s 2027 budget bill already allots to prosecutors, the baseline for the gap. It is not known whether Congress will add money, or how much.

Latina Noticias quoted Gálvez as saying only 49% of the assigned work has been done. Its written report did not explain what that measure covers.

What Comes Next

Congress still has to vote on the 2027 budget and on the executive’s supplementary spending request. The joint committee has already heard the judiciary, on 29 September, and the Interior Ministry, on 5 October.

Foreign Minister Carlos Espá is due before a Chamber of Deputies committee on Monday, 19 October, to explain the pact. The budget warning does not mean cases will stop, but Gálvez said the squeeze already limits strategic units.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Public Ministry in Peru?

It is the autonomous prosecution service of Peru, led by the attorney general. It investigates crimes and brings cases to court, including drug, extortion and corruption cases.

How big is the budget shortfall?

The Public Ministry says S/3,561.5 million (about US$1.04 billion) of its S/6,902.1 million request for 2027 is unfunded. That is 51.6% of the total.

Which areas does the shortfall affect?

The office says it limits cybercrime, extortion and flagrancy units. It also cites old computers, vulnerable premises and unattended forensic requests.

Is Peru safe for US travellers?

The US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution. It advises against travel to the VRAEM valleys and the Colombia border area of Loreto.

What is the Shield of the Americas?

It is a US-backed security coalition that includes Peru and 13 other regional governments. Its first joint action targets 24 criminal organisations with sanctions and prosecutions.

Sources: Ministerio Público, press release of 7 October 2026; Presidency of Peru, unified command announcement; Interior Ministry, 2027 budget; Poder Judicial, flagrancy units; Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Central Reserve Bank of Peru, exchange rates; US Embassy Lima, Shield of the Americas statement; US Embassy Lima, security cooperation; US State Department, Peru travel advisory; Latina Noticias; La República (all accessed 8 October 2026).