Fujimori had been serving a 25-year sentence for directing death squads against supposed subversives. His release has been condemned by human rights activists and triggered an uproar in Peru.

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a fierce critic of cartels and corruption, was shot this week. "There is no precedent for this in our country's recent history," one analyst says.

With just over a week to go until election day, Ecuador is under a state of emergency and in shock after the assassination of a presidential candidate at a campaign rally.

The number of patients is soaring, the health system is stressed and the government is facing criticism over its response. So far 150,000 Peruvians have caught the virus this year and 248 have died.

Anti-government protests have killed at least 47 people in Peru over the past month. Just this week, 17 civilians and a police officer died in clashes and the unrest is spreading.

Peru's Pedro Castillo gambled away power in one breathtaking day.

Peru has a new President this morning after, after President Pedro Castillo was removed from office and charged with rebellion after attempting to launch a coup.

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with journalist Simeon Tegel about the recent events in Peru, where former president Pedro Castillo has been replaced and arrested after attempting to dissolve congress.

No country in South America has been hit harder by the global cost of living crisis than Peru, where half the population is now suffering from food insecurity as a result of rising prices.