U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s proposal to designate criminal organizations as terrorists during his visit to Peru lacks consensus among academics and security experts, most of whom advise against the formula, according to media consultations.
Centrist congressman Harvey Colchado, a former senior National Police officer considered an expert in criminal investigation and corruption cases, said classifying criminal actions as terrorist makes no sense because the organizations have different aims: the former seek political objectives, while the latter seek only profit.
Meanwhile, researcher and political scientist at the Catholic University of Peru Noam López warned that classifying criminal organizations as terrorists does not by itself guarantee an improvement in the fight against citizen insecurity. He added that in Peru’s grave insecurity situation, the actual central problem is the State’s limitations to investigate, uncover criminal networks, follow the so-called money trail, control prisons and ensure that those responsible are sentenced to prison.
“Terrorism and organized crime may share violent methods, but they respond to totally different logics: the former seeks to generate terror with a political purpose; the latter mainly pursues economic benefits and control of illicit markets,” López stated.
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Authorities plan to call criminal organizations “hostile groups,” as recommended by former Defense Minister José Gavidia. Gavidia proposed that the classification be approved by the National Security Council, led by far-right President Keiko Fujimori, so that the military can use their weapons against those groups.
Former Deputy Interior Minister Ricardo Valdés opined that it would be just a simple name change, calling the gangs terrorists, because they are two different crimes: terrorism has a political purpose and organized crime an economic one. “Changing the name of an organization does not by itself improve intelligence, investigation, police capacity or criminal prosecution,” he added.
Political scientist Benjamin Durand said that calling criminals terrorists would mean an alignment with the security strategy adopted by the United States, without understanding the real problem. He added that it is also not necessary to call criminal organizations “hostile groups” to combat organized crime, and that the government’s effort to resort to the Armed Forces may be counterproductive.
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