Forced sterilization in Peru

Alberto Fujimori's government used forced sterilization as part of a broader population control initiative under the National Population Program. Targeting impoverished and predominantly indigenous women in rural Andean regions, this program became the largest state-sponsored sterilization effort in the Americas.^[1] Though publicly framed as a progressive measure for reproductive health and economic modernization, it has been widely condemned for its coercive methods and long-term human rights violations.

The sterilization campaign was rooted in decades-old eugenic ideologies and neo-Malthusian theories that linked overpopulation to poverty and national instability. Under Fujimori, these ideas were operationalized into a systematic program purportedly aimed at alleviating poverty and curbing high birth rates. Women were frequently sterilized without informed consent, often under duress, or in exchange for food and healthcare. Between 1996 and 2000, an estimated 300,000 sterilizations were performed, disproportionately affecting indigenous communities and leaving lasting social, economic, and medical repercussions.

International and domestic organizations have criticized the campaign as a crime against humanity, with some labeling it as ethnic cleansing or genocide. Legal and political efforts to address the abuses have faced significant obstacles, with accountability remaining limited. In recent years, victims and advocacy groups have pursued recognition and justice, yet challenges persist in achieving comprehensive reparations or holding the perpetrators fully accountable.