Homicides in Peru have doubled since 2019
January 2025 alone had 203 percent more killings than January 2017, as violence moved into everyday business life.
Atlantic Council · Peru at a breaking point: How ten years of political chaos opened the door to organized crimeHomicides in Peru have doubled since 2019. In January 2025 alone, the country recorded 203 percent more homicides than in January 2017.
The numbers mark a shift in where violence lives. Crime once centered in remote frontier towns and trafficking routes now touches everyday commerce, including neighborhood shops and midsize firms that power much of Peru's economy.
Reported extortions rose sixfold between 2019 and 2024, and this year one in three Peruvians said they personally knew someone targeted for a shakedown, often a small shop owner.
Questions people ask
How are extortion and homicide connected?
Extortion and murder are closely linked. When shopkeepers, drivers, or contractors refuse to pay the weekly fee, or when rival groups fight over who collects it, threats often turn into killings. That is why a surge in shakedowns usually brings more homicides with it.
Who is being forced to pay?
Mostly ordinary, cash-facing workers. In cities such as Trujillo and Chiclayo, bus operators and construction firms pay weekly quotas, while market vendors in Lima report getting calls demanding payments through digital wallets. Many work in Peru's large informal economy, with less protection from police or banks.
Why did violence spread so fast after 2019?
Analysts point to a decade of institutional breakdown. Frequent presidential turnover, police shakeups, underfunded prosecutors, and laws that weakened criminal penalties left space for gangs to grow. Fragmented politics also made local officials easier for organized crime to corrupt or intimidate.