Police say they only suggested to Pedro Castillo “evaluate the relevance” of the curfew

Following the statements of Prime Minister Aníbal Torres on the work and training of the Peruvian National Police (PNP), the PNP ruled on DINI intelligence reports that warned of the alleged looting and attacks on premises during the April 5 protests.

These had been taken as support by the Government to decree compulsory social immobilization that day in Lima and Callao.

In a statement on its Twitter account, the PNP specified that it only “suggested assessing the relevance or not” of establishing mandatory social immobilization on April 5. They also noted that the police report sent to the Executive with their opinion on the subject “is not binding”.

“On April 4, the Cabinet of the Council of Ministers meets, informed by intelligence information (DINI) that on April 5 the situation of violence in Lima and Callao would worsen and worsen. In consideration of these developments, the head of the Interior Sector (Alfonso Chávarry) requests technical opinion from the Peruvian National Police on the possibility of declaring compulsory social immobilization in Metropolitan Lima and Callao,” the statement said.

“In this context, the National Police suggested assessing the relevance or otherwise of the possibility of providing for compulsory social immobilization to be carried out from 02:00 to 23:59 hours on April 5, 2022, as specified in report No. 062-2022-CG-PNP/COMASGEN-OFIPOL, sent in official official letter No. 196-2022-CG PNP/SEG of 4 of April 2022, documents that are not binding,” said the PNP.

Statements by Aníbal Torres

It is recalled that on Wednesday, April 6, the president of the Council of Ministers, Aníbal Torres, affirmed that the supreme decree declaring compulsory social immobilization for Tuesday, April 5, was duly substantiated and supported. He said that this was backed by two intelligence reports, one from the National Police and the other of a secret nature.

“Our Police, we must admit, do not exist enough (...). I just give you one example, they have seen, by the media here and abroad, that seven policemen cannot arrest one person,” Aníbal Torres told his comment on the performance of the PNP during demonstrations driven by rising prices for various products.

Torres explained that the letter 196-2022-GC-PNP, signed by the director of the National Police, PNP General Vicente Tiburcio, warns of the possibility of looting and looting in Metropolitan Lima and Callao and that for this reason recommends that social immobilization be declared between 2 am and 11:59am Tuesday night. The Prime Minister also mentioned Intelligence Report 028-2022 during the press conference, but did not read because it was of a secret nature.

However, a journalistic investigation revealed that the Pedro Castillo government used two intelligence documents, which were not mentioned by the premier, to declare the Supreme Decree that ordered a curfew on April 5.

REACTION OF THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR

Aníbal Torres' statements also aroused the disagreement of the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Chávarry. The minister highlighted the work of police officers and highlighted the work recorded during the most recent demonstrations.

In the evening, after the press conference, Chávarry replied: “I don't agree with that. I don't agree. In Peru there is democracy and everyone speaks what they think and I am going to tell you that I do not agree with this position because I know the National Police in the background. It is a historic institution with great professionals and men, an institution that at a time that Peru has had saved it,” he said.