Peruvian President Dina Boluarte signed a law pardoning hundreds of military and police officers for alleged abuses during the country’s fight against a Maoist militia.
The law, approved by Congress, pardoned those who fought the Shining Path — declared a terrorist organization by the US — which threatened to destabilize the Peruvian government until former President Alberto Fujimori unleashed a vicious fight against it. Almost 70,000 people are believed to have died in the conflict between the 1980s and 2000s.
Although critics said the new law would ensure thousands of innocents will never see justice, Boluarte hopes the move may boost her approval ratings, which sit at just 2% with presidential elections due next year.