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Article

12 Apr 2019

Author:
La República (Peru)

Peru: Bar Association and NGO introduce lawsuit for agreements between police and extractive companies

[Excerpt translation from Spanish provided by Business and Human Rights Resource Centre]

Colegio de Abogados (The Bar Association) in San Martín, with the help of the Institute for Legal Defence and Earthrights International, presented a lawsuit for unconstitutionality against the norms that allow the collaboration between extractive companies and the Peruvian National Police. This refers to Legislative Decree Number 1267, or National Police Law, of which its sixth disposition suggests that the police institution can provide extraordinary security services to extractive companies in exchange for economic remuneration. According to lawyer Juan Carlos Ruiz from the Institute for Legal Defence, “this type of contract violates the people’s right to citizen security, violates human rights and breaks the principles of the democratic rule of law”. The government argues that the collaboration is necessary to maintain public order. But the police officers provide private services with the uniform and the arms provided by the Peruvian National Police. “This confused the community members who think that the police are in favour of the company and not the people. There is an indirect discrimination because the rights of indigenous peoples are infringed upon”, says Álvaro Márquez, who is also a specialist at the Institute for Legal Defence…