Illustration by Global Voices

This article was originally published in IFEX, a Global Voices media partner. It was updated with recent developments on April 16, 2025, by Global Voices.

Peru's government adopted a controversial law on April 16, 2025, that has been denounced by civil society throughout the region because of its unconstitutionality, given that it violates the freedoms of association, thought, and political participation. The law intends to strengthen oversight of international funds received by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The reform modifies the legal framework of the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI), a government agency, granting it broad powers to control and sanction NGOs receiving international assistance. It's therefore referred to as the “APCI law,” although the press and critics dubbed it the “anti-NGO law.”

Before its passing, Indigenous, social, and political representatives asked the government of Peru not to enact this law. They warned that this reform “would harm support to the poorest populations and limit the work of organizations that report abuses and defend vulnerable communities” and that it would “crucially affect support on issues such as environment, social inclusion, health, and disaster risk management.”

The Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) also publicly rejected the law. It warned that the reform is incompatible with the private character of NGOs within Peru's constitutional framework and closely resembles laws enacted by authoritarian regimes in other Latin American countries. “This law establishes a control similar to that of a police state,” stated IPYS.

According to this law, an NGO's registration could be canceled if it is determined to have committed vaguely defined acts affecting “public order, citizen security, national defense, and internal order.” The law also classifies all NGOs, without distinction, as entities within the National System for the Prevention of Money Laundering.

While the letter of the reform focuses on the abuse of funds, the IPYS warned that the underlying purpose is not financial accountability but ideological and political control of civil society.

The enactment of this law comes amid an increasingly hostile environment toward press freedom in Peru. Following a fact-finding mission to the country, the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) expressed concern about the “serious deterioration” of the freedoms of the press and expression in the context of persistent political and institutional crises ahead of the 2026 general elections.

The IAPA delegation noted a growing hostility towards independent media, the judicial persecution of critical journalists, and the systematic use of disinformation and social media attacks, which contribute to generating an adverse climate for the practice of the profession and undermine the public's right to be informed.

In January, the journalist Gastón Medina was murdered in the Ica region. The lack of significant progress in the investigation, as well as allegations that the authorities had tried to prevent press coverage of the crime, reflect a pattern of impunity but are also clear evidence of the escalation of violence.