Amnesty International expressed concerns on Tuesday about the recent approval by the Peruvian Congress of an amendment to Law 27692, which established the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI). The organization cited potential restrictions on human rights as a key issue and warned that the reform threatens Peru’s civil society by limiting human rights activism and may even lead to public officials’ impunity for human rights violations.
The organization noted that the proposed amendment increases state control over non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by granting authorities the power to restrict and censor their activities at their discretion. This includes organizations that receive international development funds, which will now require prior approval from the authorities to conduct their work. According to the Executive Director of Amnesty International Peru, leaving approval decisions to the authorities would increase the risk of arbitrary restrictions on civil society activism and could result in the removal of organizations critical of the government from the APCI register.
Amnesty International also highlighted that the reform could compromise individuals’ right to access justice, particularly for victims of human rights violations. The new provisions classify legal actions taken against the state for such violations before national or international bodies as a “very serious” offense, which could reduce authorities’ accountability for human rights violations and ultimately promote impunity.
In response, Amnesty International urged the Peruvian government to reject the approved amendment and to uphold the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights. Both conventions guarantee the right to freedom of expression, association, and participation in public affairs.
The APCI is a public agency that was established by Law 27692 in 2002. The agency is responsible for guiding and coordinating international technical cooperation at various levels of government and civil society, as well as monitoring activities conducted by registered NGOs. On March 13, the Peruvian Congress approved a bill amending Law 27692, which drew criticism from civil society organizations. They argue that the new provisions are intended to harass and silence NGOs that defend human rights and expose governmental abuses.
The Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL), a Peruvian human rights organization, condemned the approval of the new bill, asserting that it was designed to increase arbitrary sanctions against NGOs and to obstruct victims of human rights violations from exercising their right to access justice. Similarly, Indigenous organizations in Peru stated that the new APCI law will intensify governmental oppression against Indigenous people, who have relied on international funding to protect their lands and defend their rights against corporate and governmental abuses.
Peru has faced criticism for misusing legislation to hide the government’s involvement in human rights abuses, including environmental pollution. In April 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the Peruvian state violated the rights of 80 residents in the city of La Oroya due to pollution of air, water, and soil caused by mining and metallurgical activities. Additionally, in July 2024, congress approved a bill that introduced a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity despite warnings from human rights organizations about the bill’s potential to disrupt ongoing investigations into serious abuses.
