Fury in Peru as Amnesty Law for Human Rights Abuses Sparks Legal, Social Uproar

In a controversial move that has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights advocates, Peru's Congress has passed a law granting amnesty to military and police personnel accused of grave human rights violations committed during the country’s brutal armed conflict from 1980 to 2000. The bill, approved by a congressional commission, extends to those already convicted, under investigation, or awaiting trial, and now awaits the signature of President Dina Boluarte.

A Nation Confronts Its Past

The Peruvian conflict, fought between state forces and left-wing insurgent groups like the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, left an estimated 70,000 people dead—many of them Indigenous Peruvians trapped between government forces and rebel fighters. Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented widespread abuses, including massacres, forced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, and identified over 4,000 clandestine graves across the country.

Despite these findings, the new amnesty bill, championed by Congressman Fernando Rospigliosi from the right-wing Popular Force party, appears to reverse years of hard-won justice efforts. Popular Force is led by Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the former authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori, whose decade-long rule was marked by widespread human rights abuses. Although Fujimori was convicted and jailed for his crimes—including civilian massacres—he was controversially released in 2023 on humanitarian grounds.

Voices of the Victims: Seeking International Justice

For families of the conflict’s victims, the amnesty law reopens painful wounds. Raida Condor, whose son Amaro Condor was killed in a 1992 military raid at a university campus, stood alongside other victims' families and human rights defenders in Lima on July 10, 2025, voicing fierce opposition to the law.

"We’re not only fighting this domestically; we've already begun seeking intervention from international bodies," said Gloria Cano, director of the Pro Human Rights Association. Cano confirmed that her organization has alerted the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and plans to bring the issue before the United Nations.

International Condemnation and Legal Concerns

UN human rights chief Volker Turk criticized the legislation, posting on X (formerly Twitter), "Impunity does not hide the crime, it magnifies it." Amnesty International also denounced the bill, warning that the right to justice for thousands of victims would be permanently violated.

Human rights organizations estimate that the law could nullify 156 convictions and halt proceedings in more than 600 ongoing cases. It provides a special humanitarian amnesty for individuals over 70 who have been convicted or imprisoned, potentially shielding many senior military and police officials from accountability.

Congressman Alex Flores of the Socialist Party spoke out during legislative debates, declaring, "Granting amnesty to military and police officers cannot be a reason for impunity."

A Repeated Struggle Against Amnesty

Peru’s judiciary and international human rights courts have fought similar amnesty attempts before. In the 1990s, laws were passed to protect security forces from prosecution, but the Inter-American Court of Human Rights struck them down, ruling they violated the right to justice and international human rights standards.

Despite these precedents, Peru’s Congress has repeatedly attempted to shield military and police from legal scrutiny. In August 2024, Peru introduced a statute of limitations for crimes against humanity committed before 2002, effectively closing hundreds of investigations. That statute directly benefited figures like Fujimori and numerous military officials implicated in past atrocities.

Human rights advocates argue that the new law not only violates Peru's Constitution but also its obligations as a member of the Inter-American Human Rights System. Legal experts expect fierce legal challenges ahead, both domestically and in international courts.

Awaiting Presidential Action

The bill now awaits President Dina Boluarte’s decision. Boluarte, who has remained publicly silent on the matter, holds the power to either sign the bill into law or veto it. Her response is likely to shape the country’s human rights trajectory and legacy in the years to come.

Peru’s Painful Reckoning

Peru’s armed conflict left deep scars on the nation, especially among its Indigenous populations. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report highlighted that the vast majority of victims were Indigenous peasants—people marginalized even in peace, who bore the brunt of the violence between government forces and insurgent groups.

As the country debates the future of justice for these victims, human rights defenders warn that forgetting the crimes of the past risks repeating them. For families like the Condors, the amnesty is not a humanitarian act—it is an erasure of truth and justice.

Next Steps

Lawyers for victims and human rights defenders vow to continue their struggle, both in Peru and on the global stage, to ensure that justice is not buried alongside the victims of the conflict.