During her participation in the 81st United Nations General Assembly session on Tuesday, President Keiko Fujimori stated that her Government will fight delinquency and organized crime head-on, as she warned that it will not back down in the face of transnational criminal organizations seeking to impose terror over the law.
"In Peru, we will pursue crime, from the individual who carries out the acts to the network that sustains it. We will not back down in the face of those who attempt to impose terror over the law," Fujimori emphasized before the full General Assembly.
At this international forum, the Head of State stressed that it is necessary to determine and define the enemy, as well as to have a clear regulatory framework to respond to the threat these organizations pose to internal order.
"These organizations are terrorist groups and must be confronted as what they are: enemies of the democratic state and law-abiding citizens," she underscored, referring to the Government's support for the Armed Forces and the National Police in the fight against crime.
The top official noted that, although Peru is located on a continent where there are no wars between countries, it faces another type of threat: one declared by transnational criminal organizations that have spread terror among populations.
"In this war, there are no battlefronts or defined borders, and there are no international rules. The enemy has no uniform and hides among our own people. There is no possibility of surrendering or signing peace treaties," she stated.
In this context, the President warned that these groups possess enormous military and economic power and engage in illicit activities ranging from drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling to human trafficking, extortion, and murder.
Faced with this scenario, Fujimori highlighted Peru's active participation in the Santiago Regional Commitment and its recent incorporation into the "Shield of the Americas" as a demonstration of its determination to work jointly and in coordination with other countries to address this challenge.
"Addressing this war as an isolated problem for each nation is not only a mistake we have been making, but also an advantage given to transnational criminal groups to strengthen themselves," she asserted.
The price of peace
Referring to Peru's experience with violence, the Head of State recalled the defeat of terrorism and stressed the importance of guaranteeing due process.
"I come from a country that knows the high price of peace. We defeated terrorism, but unfortunately, even today, 34 years later, those who took on that mission are still being tried, despite having demonstrated that due process was violated," Fujimori said.
The top official stated that Peru, like other Latin American countries, has faced the imposition of agendas that—she said—divided society, instrumentalized politics, undermined democracy, and weakened the institution of the family.
The President also reviewed the past decades.
She recalled that, in addition to defeating terrorism, Peru nearly tripled its Gross Domestic Product in real terms, increased its export value fifteenfold, and placed its currency among the most stable in the world.
However, the Head of State noted that recent governments have been unable to address new challenges or close the social gaps that still persist.
Likewise, she warned that there are structural problems that hinder more balanced development and reduce citizens' confidence in democratic institutions and their authorities.
Education challenge
At another point, President Fujimori stated that the response to criminal organizations cannot be limited to law enforcement.
Similarly, the Head of State stressed the need to provide children and adolescents with effective learning opportunities to prevent them from being drawn into crime.
"That is why our second challenge will be to turn education into a tool for social transformation and for preventing violence and crime," she underscored.
In this regard, the top official highlighted that her Government has launched a far-reaching education reform that includes strengthening infrastructure, providing digital services, delivering educational materials, as well as enhancing teachers' capabilities and resources.
The President specified that the heart of this reform will be the creation of a school for the training of principals, aimed at providing them with the tools and skills to lead their institutions with autonomy and promote parental involvement in their children's education.
"The quality of education and the depth of learning among our young people and children are predictors of a better quality of life because they lead to higher incomes and healthier habits, contributing to social mobility," she stated.
The Head of State questioned the incorporation of an ideological and cultural agenda that she described as unrelated to Peru's reality, and proposed restoring the principle of respect for authority in educational institutions.
"We will turn schools into safe places where children go to learn and teachers go to teach without fear. And that is our own agenda," she pointed out.
Institutional framework, democracy, and justice
Next, the President mentioned strengthening institutions and democracy as the third major challenge.
At this point, the Head of State underscored individual freedom, the family as an irreplaceable pillar of society, respect for traditions, equality before the law, and human dignity.
The top official stated that the full exercise of freedom requires judicial institutions that enforce the law while respecting due process and individual freedoms.
In this sense, she defended the autonomy and independence of the government branches and a firm and impartial justice system.
"The defense of human rights must not end up turning victims into defendants and perpetrators into protected individuals. The rights of law-abiding citizens end where impunity for criminals begins," Fujimori said.
When addressing the international community's role, the President indicated that its action takes on true meaning when it is present during the most difficult times. Yet she noted that it must also respect the limits inherent to a community of sovereign nations.
"Supporting a country does not mean replacing its institutions or the decisions that belong to its citizens within the democratic order," Fujimori said.
"We can share universal principles while recognizing that each people has its own history, culture, traditions, and legitimate right to democratically define its own path," she added.
The top official called for independent and transparent international action that safeguards, without ideological considerations, the human rights of farmers, children, women, police personnel, and military personnel who are on the front lines defending life and freedom.
The Head of State emphasized that the United Nations must remain a forum for dialogue among peoples, respecting the diversity of realities and traditions within the framework of peace, development, and human rights.
In this regard, she expressed her expectation that the organization maintain an independent, impartial response with a genuine commitment to dialogue, capable of opening paths forward even when understanding seems impossible.
The Head of State, who addressed the General Assembly for the first time 57 days after assuming the Presidency of the Republic, reaffirmed Peru's commitment to the United Nations Charter and its pillars of peace and security, development, and human rights.
"We do not need to think alike to respect one another deeply. The world does not need identical democracies; it needs legitimate democracies. It does not demand uniform nations; it demands truly free peoples," she concluded.
(END) NDP/JCR/MVB