The Peruvian government has officially changed its laws to legally classify transgender, nonbinary and inters£x p£ople as m+ntally ill.
Peru’s President Dina Boluarte signed the decree into law last week, categorizing gender identities as outright m+ntal illness.
According to The Telegraph, the country’s health ministry said the decree was the only way Peru’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for m+ntal health”.
This decision has sparked significant backlash across the country. It follows a recent move by lawmakers to remove references to gender equality from school textbooks, which has severely undermined educational efforts aimed at preventing domestic vi%lence and fem+cide.
Health Minister César Vásquez has not addressed the controversy surrounding the decree but has defended President Dina Boluarte, who is currently under investigation for the unexplained acquisition of expensive jewellery, including a diamond-encrusted Cartier bracelet valued at £40,000.
Last week, her brother Nicanor Boluarte was arrested for selling senior jobs in the government. The president responded by dismantling an elite police anti-corruption unit and unsuccessfully attempting to block the publication of official statistics showing a rise in poverty.
