It is expected that the first prisoners will start leaving the prison in about two weeks.
The Peruvian authorities will grant amnesty for about 3,000 convicts due to the spread of a new type of coronavirus epidemic. This was announced by Justice and Human Rights Minister Fernando Castañeda on Wednesday.
“These are mothers of children under the age of three, pregnant women, elderly people over 60 who have not committed serious crimes, those who have been sentenced to less than four years in prison, and those who have less than six months left in prison”, – he said in an interview with the local ATV channel. The politician specified that the relevant decree amending the procedure of the presidential amnesty commission will be published in the official press on Thursday, the first prisoners will start leaving the penitentiary institutions in about two weeks.
According to the minister, 97 thousand prisoners are kept in the country’s prisons, about 500 of them have been diagnosed with coronavirus, 13 people died as a result of infection. The infection has been detected in 10 out of 68 prisons, Castagneda said.
Peru, with more than 19,000 infected so far and at least 530 deaths from COVID-19, is the second most infected country in Latin America after Brazil. In mid-March, Peruvian President Martin Viscarra declared a state of emergency in the country due to the Coronavirus epidemic, which involves closing state borders and banning businesses. The republic’s leadership later decided to introduce curfews throughout its territory to prevent the spread of infection and extended the emergency regime until 26 April.