LIMA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Peruvian government extended a state of emergency in Metropolitan Lima and the neighboring province of Callao for 60 days to continue combating crime and violence affecting the capital, the president's office said Wednesday.
The extension was issued by a supreme decree signed by President Jose Balcazar and several members of his cabinet, the president's office said in a statement.
According to the decree, during the 60-day period, the Peruvian National Police (PNP) will maintain order with the help of the armed forces, using a strategy that will rely on statistical intelligence and maps of high-crime areas to determine where to focus security efforts.
"In addition, there will be restrictions or suspensions on the exercise of rights related to the inviolability of the home, freedom of movement within the national territory, freedom of assembly, and personal liberty and security," the president's office said.
On Tuesday, the PNP released a report, cited by private news radio station Radio Programas del Peru, saying extortion rates in Lima and Callao fell by 43 percent in the first four months of the year. ■
