2021 in Peru
Events in the year 2021 in Peru.
Events
January to March
- January 27 – A lockdown is enforced in central Peru until February 14 as hospitals near collapse. There have been 1,107,239 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 40,107 deaths. Studies of the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine will continue during the lockdown. The first one million doses of vaccination are expected to begin in February.
- February 5 – Venezuelan immigrants and refugees complain of discrimination and xenophobia leading up to elections.
- February 13 – Óscar Ugarte is sworn in as the fifth health minister in a year after Pilar Mazzetti resigned in scandal after former president Martin Vizcarra jumped to the front of the line for a COVID-19 vaccine.
- February 13 – Foreign minister Elizabeth Astete resigns after it is shown that government employees were given priority over health workers for COVID-19 vaccines.
- February 21 – Vacunagate, a scandal related to the application of COVID-19 vaccines to politicians, business leaders, and religious leaders before essential health workers, the collapse of the health system, and the lack of oxygen, threatens the stability of the upcoming elections. Former footballer George Forsyth, leads as a candidate for president with 20% in the polls, but his candidacy has been suspended by the Jurado Nacional Electoral.
- March 2 – The government does not appeal a court ruling allowing Ana Estrada, 44, the right to die. Local law still prohibits anyone from assisting voluntary euthanasia.
- March 7 – Rafael López Aliaga is accused of urging a coup d'état after calling for resignation of Interim President Francisco Sagasti. Economist Hernando de Soto tweeted, ''"El viernes salí en favor de la democracia para rechazar el golpe contra la candidaturas de Forsyth y López Aliaga. Hoy salgo para rechazar el golpe que López Aliaga quiere darle al presidente Sagasti"''
April to June
- April 2 – Verónika Mendoza, candidate for president, calls Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a dictator during a press conference with the Asociación de Prensa Extranjera en el Perú.
- April 12 — 2021 Peru bus crash
- 23 May - San Miguel del Ene attack – 18 people are killed in an attack in the Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro conflict region, where the group operates.
- 6 June – 2021 Peruvian general election – Pedro Castillo has a slight lead with 97.3% of the votes counted.
- 11 June – Left-wing groups around the world warn that Keiko Fujimori is trying to steal the election. Without any evidence, she has claimed victory.
- 12 June – Fujimori leads a protest seeking to annul the votes of the 2021 election.
- 14 June – An investigation is launched into Fujimori supporters and the Popular Force party for incidents of harassment of electoral authorities via the Internet.
- 23 June – 2021 Mala earthquake: A magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes near the capital Lima, killing one and causing damage.
July to September
- 28 July – Pedro Castillo is sworn in as President of Peru.
- 31 July - At least 40 people were injured after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sullana.
October to December
- 28 November - 2021 Northern Peru earthquake
Deaths
January to March
- January 16 – Rapper One, 41, rapper; COVID-19.
- January 17 – Víctor Crisólogo, 68, politician, member of Congress ; COVID-19.
- January 18 – Carlos Burga, 68, Olympic boxer ; COVID-19.
- January 19 – Carlos Tapia García, 79, politician, member of Congress and Truth and Reconciliation Commission ; COVID-19.
- February 11
- *Teresa Burga, 86, artist.
- *Javier Neves, 67, lawyer and academic, Minister of Labour and Promotion of Employment ; COVID-19.
- February 16 – Ítalo Villarreal, journalist.
- February 17 – Carlos Chacón Galindo, 86, politician, Provincial Mayor of Cusco Province.
- February 22 – Hipólito Chaiña Contreras, 67, doctor and politician, member of Congress ; COVID-19.
- February 26
- *Herasmo García, 28, environmentalist and indigenous leader ; murdered
- March 6
- *Miguel Miranda, 54, football player and manager.
- *Pedro Novoa, 46, writer and educator; colon cancer.
- March 11 – Ernesto Ráez Mendiola, 84, stage director, actor and theater teacher.
- March 18 – Luis Bedoya Reyes, 102, politician, Mayor of Lima, member of the Constituent Assembly and minister of Justice.
- March 19 – Luis Armando Bambarén Gastelumendi, 93, auxiliary bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima, bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Chimbote and president of the Episcopal Conference of Peru ; COVID-19.
- March 25 – Manuel Dammert, 72, sociologist and politician, member of Congress ; COVID-19.
April to June
- April 1 – Jorge Chiarella Krüger, 77, theater director and actor.
- April 3 – Elidio Espinoza, 65, politician, mayor of Trujillo, COVID-19.
July to September
- September 11 - Abimael Guzmán, leader of the Shining Path.
October to December
- October 25 - Fernando Herrera Mamani, Peruvian politician.
- November 26 - Óscar Catacora, Peruvian film director and screenwriter.
- December 1 – Raimundo Revoredo Ruiz, Peruvian prelate of the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Juli