One of the latest victims is the well-known Peruvian singer Paul Flores, who was shot dead when he and his band were on their way in a bus from a concert outside Lima. Flores had been threatened by criminal gangs who tried to extort money from him, says a representative for the artist.
Extortion is not uncommon in Latin America, but the phenomenon has grown enormously in Peru, where criminal gangs, including the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua, are active.
Since January, over 400 murders have been reported, according to local media. Gustavo Adrianzen, who leads the local government, writes on X that a state of emergency is now being declared in the provinces of Lima and Callao.
A similar measure was taken in the capital last year, when the city government sought the help of the military to stop a wave of murders.
