LIMA, Oct 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Peru on Wednesday deployed soldiers to the streets of Lima under a state of emergency declared following weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organized crime.

Peru's interim president Jose Jeri on Tuesday announced a 30-day state of emergency for Lima and the neighboring port of Callao -- jointly home to nearly 10 million people.

It allows the government to send in the army to patrol the streets, and to restrict freedom of assembly and other rights. Under the measures, two or more people are not allowed to ride on the same motorbike.

It was the first major action announced by Jeri since taking office nearly two weeks ago after the ouster of president Dina Boluarte, blamed by many for a surge in crime and graft in the South American country.

The security crisis in Peru has hit the transportation sector especially hard, with at least 47 bus drivers killed this year in what are believed to be extortion-related attacks.

"At every moment, we feel under threat (of crime). We don't know if we will make it home" at the end of the day, Lima resident Lidia Osorio, a 50-year-old homemaker, told AFP. She added that the military deployment did not make her feel any safer.

Youth-led demonstrations have brought thousands of Peruvians, frustrated by the authorities' failure to address the worsening crime crisis, onto the streets in Lima and other cities.

Over the past month, more than 200 people, including police officers, demonstrators and journalists, have been injured in the protests, and one person was shot dead by police.

Former parliamentary speaker Jeri will serve as interim president until July next year.

Peru has had seven governments over the past decade, including the one that replaced Boluarte.