Peru Senate Summons 7 Ministers Over Crime Powers Bid

PERU · POLITICS

Peru’s new government is fighting its first big battle with Congress over how far it may legislate by decree against crime.

Peru’s Senate has summoned seven ministers for Friday, 9 October, to defend the government’s bid for delegated powers on crime. On Thursday, President Keiko Fujimori used a naval ceremony to urge lawmakers to set aside party fights and back the request.

The outcome matters beyond Lima. It sets how fast a key US trade partner can deploy new tools against extortion gangs and prepare for El Niño.

Fujimori Calls for a White Flag in Congress

Fujimori, leader of the conservative Fuerza Popular party, headed Thursday’s Navy anniversary ceremony at Plaza Grau in Callao. It marked the Navy’s 205th anniversary and 147 years since the Battle of Angamos, the Congress news service said.

Congress president Miguel Ángel Torres and cabinet chief Luis Galarreta laid a wreath alongside her. The Navy commander, Admiral Javier Bravo de Rueda, cited the Navy’s work against illegal mining and for El Niño prevention.

In her speech, Fujimori said Peru faces no foreign war, “but there is another war that is killing Peruvians,” RPP reported. She asked whether lawmakers could lower party flags “to raise the white flag of peace.”

She called the delegated powers “fundamental to defeat crime.” She said she hoped Congress would follow the example of naval hero Miguel Grau “over confrontation and resentment.”

Seven Ministers Called to the Senate

Carlos Mesía, a Fuerza Popular senator, chairs the Senate Constitution Commission and called the session for 10:00 a.m. on Friday. El Comercio published the list of ministers on Thursday.

Galarreta, as head of the Council of Ministers, is due to present the overall request. Justice Minister Ernesto Álvarez, Interior Minister César Astudillo and Defence Minister Rafael Belaunde are to cover security.

The ministers of agriculture, production and housing are to defend the El Niño measures. El Niño is a periodic Pacific warming that brings floods and heavy rain to Peru’s coast.

What the Deputies Cut From the Delegated Powers

Peru’s Congress now has two chambers, so the bill needs both the deputies and the Senate. Deputies approved it late on Tuesday, 6 October, by 66 votes to 34 with 24 abstentions, RPP reported.

The text gives the government 90 days to legislate on public security and El Niño prevention. El Comercio counted 20 approved measures out of 66 requested, covering two of eight subject areas.

Approved items include tighter migration records, tracking of phones used in crimes and a prison overhaul. Others let the civil defence agency deliver emergency aid directly.

Left out were intelligence operations, direct armed forces support and a new offence of terrorism for illegal profit. Plans to formalise small firms and cut red tape were also dropped, the government said.

Álvarez wrote that the deputies’ version was “a brake on the action of the armed forces.” Galarreta welcomed the “partial approval” but said fundamental security measures were missing.

A Fight Between the Two Chambers

The Senate can approve, reject or amend the text without distorting it, Senate president Torres said. Chamber of Deputies president Óscar Reto said the Senate “has no right to distort the essence of what was approved.”

Amending the text needs at least 31 Senate votes, El Comercio reported. It counted 22 Fuerza Popular senators and eight from Renovación Popular, Rafael López Aliaga’s conservative party, totalling 30.

That leaves the government one vote short without help from smaller blocs. Jaime Delgado of the opposition party Ahora Nación said it will not accept restoring all 66 measures.

What It Means for You

Peru and the United States have had a free trade agreement since 2009. US firms are active in Peruvian mining, energy and farm exports, where extortion is a daily cost.

A narrow mandate means slower, piecemeal crime measures, while a broader one could bring the armed forces deeper into policing. Bond investors and copper miners should also watch the El Niño clauses, which touch roads, ports and harvests.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether the commission will vote on Friday or only hear the ministers. RPP reported the full Senate could debate the bill on Tuesday, 13 October, but the schedule may slip.

The official text of the 20 approved measures could not be checked. It is also unclear whether senators may add measures within the two approved subject areas.

What Comes Next

The ministers appear before the Senate Constitution Commission on Friday, 9 October. Any Senate changes could send the bill back to the deputies.

Approval would not change any law by itself. The government would then have 90 days to issue legislative decrees, which Congress can review afterwards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are delegated powers in Peru?

Congress can let the government issue legislative decrees on set subjects for a fixed period. The current bill covers crime and El Niño for 90 days.

How many measures did the government ask for?

It asked for 66 measures in eight subject areas. Deputies approved 20 of them, in two areas, El Comercio reported.

Which ministers were summoned?

Cabinet chief Luis Galarreta and the ministers of justice, interior, defence, agriculture, production and housing. They face the Senate Constitution Commission on Friday, 9 October.

Why does the armed forces question matter?

The government wants the military to help fight extortion gangs. Deputies removed those clauses, and ministers hope the Senate restores some.

Does this affect US travellers or businesses?

Not yet, because no decree has been issued. The measures could change policing, migration records and emergency rules that foreigners deal with.

Sources: Congreso de la República del Perú; RPP; El Comercio (Senate summons); El Comercio (government reaction); RPP (Senate procedure) (all accessed 9 October 2026).