Peru’s Congress Gives President Special Powers to Cut Crime
Peru’s Congress Gives President Special Powers to Cut Crime
Humala’s approval rating drops with majority citing crime as main concern
By
Robert Kozak
Updated June 19, 2015 5:04 p.m. ET
LIMA, Peru—President Ollanta Humala has been given extraordinary powers by Congress for three months to approve new laws aimed at cracking down on rising crime rates. The president’s approval rating has dropped to 17%, according to pollster Ipsos, with a majority pointing to government corruption and crime as their main concerns.
While Peru is far from the most dangerous country in Latin America, the U.S. State Department recently noted a rise in violent crime over the past few years, “especially crimes of opportunity such as robbery, carjacking, vehicle thefts, and kidnapping.” The number of murders, while relatively low, has climbed, to 1,669 in 2013, up more than 30% from two years earlier.
Interior Minister José Luis Pérez Guadalupe said the government wants to be allowed to tap into telephone conversations as a measure to cut down on contract killings, to toughen sentences for those who hire minors to carry out killings, and to be able to pay for information on suspects, among other things.
Public reaction Friday to the extra presidential powers granted Thursday night was muted. Many Peruvians appear to support a crackdown on crime, Ipsos Peru director Alfredo Torres said; his poll had 63% saying insecurity is the biggest problem, up from 39% in 2010.
More:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/perus-congress-gives-president-special-powers-to-cut-crime-1434729109?mod=fox_australian
Time for the trolls to stumble forward to pitch fits that President Humala has received "special powers" from the Congress, or does that only apply when it happens with Chavez, Maduro, or Correa? Incidently, Humala's predecessor, Alan Garcia used "special powers," as well, with no screeching from the troll gallery.
