Overview
- The draft, presented by Congresswoman Elizabeth Medina of Somos Perú, seeks to amend the Penal Code to punish concealing the face during protests with 8 to 10 years in prison and 365 to 500 fine-days.
- It adds new provisions to sanction those who hide their faces in protests where disturbances occur and those who take or authorize minors or people with disabilities to attend such events, with community service or monetary penalties.
- Defender of the People Josué Gutiérrez stated that covering the face is not a crime by itself and should only be penalized when tied to violent conduct.
- He said investigations into protest-related crimes should be led by the Public Prosecutor with operational support from the National Police when violence is involved.
- He highlighted aerial patrols and surveillance cameras as effective tools to identify offenders without criminalizing peaceful demonstrators, as the bill’s fate remains under congressional debate.