Peru's Keiko Fujimori seeks security law powers

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori asked Congress on Aug. 28 to grant her government 120 days of legislative powers to pass laws aimed at addressing security concerns.

Fujimori submitted an urgent request for authority to legislate on citizen security and other areas including trade and tourism. The request says one of her first proposed measures would designate criminal organizations as terrorist organizations.

The request needs approval from both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

Peru is facing what the government describes as its worst security crisis in decades, driven by local and foreign criminal gangs involved in contract killings and extortion. Fujimori, who took office on July 28, campaigned on hardline security policies and has outlined plans to deploy the army to areas affected by extortion, drug trafficking and illegal mining.