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Peru’s arts and culture sector is facing unprecedented uncertainty following controversial amendments to the APCI law and the September 2025 publication of the Reglamento de Infracciones y Sanciones (RIS). While no fines or closures have yet been reported against cultural institutions, the new regulatory framework gives authorities broad discretion to penalize organizations, creating a chilling effect that is already reshaping artistic expression and programming across the country.

The Law and the RIS: A New Regulatory Turning Point
In March 2025, the Peruvian Congress passed changes to the APCI law granting the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation sweeping powers to vet, approve, and potentially block cultural projects or civil society initiatives financed with international funds. Museums, festivals, and nonprofit arts organizations must register projects and obtain government authorization before proceeding, with non-compliance punishable by fines up to $720,000 or even organizational dissolution.

Peru: September 2025 decree amplifies risks for artists, festivals, and independent cultural projects

On 14 September 2025, the government published Supreme Decree 033‑2025‑RE, formalizing the RIS. According to La República, the decree classifies violations into categories, including “very serious” infractions for organizations that use international funds to support legal, administrative, or advocacy actions “against the State.”

The RIS gives APCI the authority to impose substantial fines—up to 500 tax units—and, in extreme cases, to deregister organizations. For cultural institutions, this means that international partnerships, festival programming, and even curatorial decisions could be scrutinized, raising fears of indirect censorship. Artists and cultural organizers now face the prospect that any project perceived as politically sensitive could be penalized, even without a formal legal challenge.

Artists and Cultural Collectives Speak Out
The arts community has responded with urgent warnings. On March 15, 2025, En Defensa del Cine Peruano, a coalition of filmmakers, issued a statement describing the law as “a direct threat to artistic freedom and diverse cultural expression.” The collective condemned what they call the “Ley Anticine,” arguing that it “was pushed through Congress without adequate consultation and opens the door to censorship and government control over independent cinema and cultural production.” Hundreds of cultural workers signed the letter, widely shared on social media.

Similarly, the Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL) issued a statement on March 17, 2025, declaring: “The slogan behind this law is simple: harass and persecute NGOs and silence those who defend human rights. We announce that we will not remain silent.” IDL emphasized that the law restricts access to justice and violates constitutional guarantees of free association, affecting not only NGOs but also cultural organizations engaged in socially conscious programming.

During the Lima Film Festival on March 20, 2025, artists and audiences protested directly against the law, carrying banners reading “No censorship, no dictatorship,” highlighting its potential impact on creative freedom.

Chilling Effect Already Apparent
While no cultural institutions have been fined or dissolved under the APCI law, the RIS has intensified preemptive caution. Cultural organizations report delaying or canceling projects, particularly those dependent on international funding. Curators and festival organizers are avoiding content perceived as critical of government authorities, prioritizing legal safety over creative vision.

A Lima-based curator noted on March 22, 2025, “The law’s ambiguity is already influencing what we can present, what grants we can apply for, and even how we discuss social issues in our work.” This self-censorship is compounded by the potential reach of the RIS: any project interpreted as supporting legal or advocacy actions “against the State” could be classified as a very serious infraction, threatening both funding and organizational continuity.

International and Civil Society Warnings
International watchdogs have expressed serious concern. CEJIL, on April 24, 2025, called the law “a serious threat to civic space,” while Amnesty International, on April 15, 2025, warned that the law “leaves the door open to arbitrary decisions … censoring voices critical of and inconvenient for those in power.” The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of association echoed these concerns on April 2, 2025, highlighting the chilling effect on organizations advocating for human rights and accountability.

A Precarious Future for Peruvian Arts
The APCI law, reinforced by the RIS, has introduced a legal and psychological barrier that is reshaping Peru’s arts and culture sector. While enforcement against cultural institutions has not yet occurred, the mechanisms now exist for fines, deregistration, and potential government intervention. Artists, curators, and festival organizers are navigating an environment where independent expression is constrained by fear of regulatory retaliation.

As the creative community braces for potential enforcement, many are calling for urgent dialogue with authorities to clarify the law’s scope, protect artistic autonomy, and prevent the RIS from chilling the country’s vibrant cultural life. For now, the law’s mere existence—and the RIS’s formalization—serves as a powerful instrument of restraint, signaling a precarious future for artistic freedom in Peru.

Peru’s arts sector faces growing uncertainty. The APCI law and September 2025 sanctions regulation empower authorities to control international funding for cultural projects. Artists, filmmakers, and festivals warn of potential fines, project delays, and indirect censorship. While no penalties have been applied yet, the chilling effect is real.

#Peru #CulturalFreedom #ArtsPolicy #NGOs #FilmIndustry #CivilSociety #CreativeFreedom #APCI

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Peru: Law and Sanctions Regulation Threaten Cultural Freedom

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