“Over the past year, leaders have pushed hate, fought against rights, ignored crimes against humanity, and blithely let inequality and suffering spin out of control”. This is the opening sentence of Amnesty International’s latest Annual Report “The State of the World’s Human Rights 2017/2018”. It covers 159 countries, providing a succinct summary and analysis of their human rights records.

In the case of Peru, AI pays particular attention to the situation of vulnerable groups, including human rights defenders, women and the LGBTI community. It also highlights increasing impunity and breaches to the rule of law, notably the presidential pardon given to former president Alberto Fujimori.

On land rights, AI highlights continued threats to indigenous peoples, especially the adoption of laws that weaken rights to free, prior and informed consent and rules that weaken environmental protection in order to encourage investment in extractive industries. A recent example is Law 30723 that gives the green light to the construction of roads along the border with Brazil in the Ucayali region, opening access to previously untouched parts of the Amazon jungle.

As regards human rights defenders, AI mentions the continued threats and harassment they suffer, particularly those working on issues related to land, territory and the environment. This includes judicial harassment.

The situation of women and girls remains a serious concern, with violence against women commonplace. Abortion remains illegal in all cases except when the health or life of a pregnant woman or girl is at risk.

AI points to the fact that “more than 5,000 women had been included in the Registry of Victims of Forced Sterilization” but that despite this “there was no progress in obtaining justice and reparation”.