June 26, 2003, 13:30
President Alejandro Toledo of Peru decided late yesterday to lift a state of emergency imposed on May 27 in most of the country, the government said.
"The president ... decided today to lift the state of emergency in most of the national territory," a statement from the president's office said.
The decree, to take effect today, was due to be published in the official gazette.
On May 27, Toledo imposed a state of emergency, a measure that places the military in control and suspends some constitutional rights, in a bid to quell a wave of strikes and protests that included the blockage of major highways.
The measure backfired when troops fired on a crowd of protesters defying the state of emergency in the southern city of Puno, killing one student and wounding dozens of others.
Low approval ratings
Toledo's approval rating of just 11% is at its lowest point in his two-year-old government. This week, his Cabinet ministers tendered their resignations to allow Toledo more room to manoeuvre in his efforts to restore credibility.
Yesterday's government statement said Toledo had decided to extend the state of emergency in the regions of Ayacucho, Junin and Apurimac and the province of La Convencion in Cuzco, where Maoist Shining Path guerrillas are still active.
Shining Path rebels ambushed an army patrol in Huanta province in the region of Ayacucho yesterday, killing one soldier and wounding two others.
Earlier this month, guerrillas kidnapped 71 workers building a natural gas project for 36 hours before releasing them unharmed. - Reuters
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