Peru’s finance minister has promised that police officers working in emergency zones will receive their delayed risk bonus, but no date, total or decree has been announced yet.
A police risk payment in Peru is still unpaid. Now a minister has promised to pay it.
Readers in the United States who follow security in Peru have reason to watch this closely. The officers concerned serve in areas covered by the government’s emergency decrees.
The Costa Verde coastal highway in Lima. File photo: Tatsuko56 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Elmer Cuba, Peru’s Economy and Finance Minister, gave the promise in an interview with a Peruvian radio and television station. He was sworn in on Tuesday 28 July 2026 under President Keiko Fujimori.
“Of course, those will be paid, they are in the public budget, without doubt,” Cuba said. The statement is short, but it settles little about when officers will see the money.
What We Know
The payment in question is the Bonificación por Alto Riesgo a la Vida, a bonus for high risk to life. It goes to officers and non-commissioned officers (sub-officers) of the Peruvian National Police (PNP) who serve in areas under a state of emergency.
The bonus can reach S/2,150 a month (about US$625 at the market rate of S/3.4406 per US dollar on Friday 6 November 2026). S stands for the Peruvian sol, the national currency.
The bonus applies to officers serving in areas covered by the government’s emergency decrees. Officers there carry the risk that the bonus is meant to recognise.
On Thursday 5 November 2026, Interior Minister César Astudillo spoke on the same subject. He said “the bonuses will be paid” and that there will be “no clean slate”.
Astudillo added that his Interior Ministry, known as Mininter, is working with the Economy Ministry to secure financing. He also said Mininter does not have the funds at the moment.
According to Astudillo, recovered money has already gone to salaries, year-end obligations and per diems, which are daily allowances for staff on duty. Neither minister has announced a payment date.
In Plain English
The Economy and Finance Ministry, called MEF in Peru, controls the national budget and releases money to other ministries. The Interior Ministry oversees the police.
A bonus can be approved on paper and still go unpaid until the finance ministry moves the cash. That gap between a promise and a transfer is what officers are now waiting on.
A Precedent for Paying This Bonus
This would not be the first time the finance ministry has paid for this bonus. It has funded this bonus through budget transfers before.
One example is S/43.5 million (about US$12.6 million at today’s S/3.4406 per US dollar) paid in 2023 under Supreme Decree 090-2023-EF. A supreme decree is a government order issued in the president’s name.
What Is Not Known
Cuba says the money is in the public budget, while Astudillo says his ministry cannot pay yet. The two statements have not been reconciled, and neither minister has said which budget line would cover the cost.
No payment date has been announced, and no total amount has been published. Nobody has said how many officers are owed or which budget line will cover the cost.
It is also unclear whether a new decree is needed to release the funds. Until one appears, or the transfers begin, the promise remains a statement of intent.
What It Means for You
For police officers and their families, the practical question is timing rather than principle. Both ministers now say the bonus will be paid, which narrows the dispute to how and when.
Travellers and expats in emergency zones should keep following official guidance. Our guide to Peru’s emergency mode after the Trujillo attack in August explains what the rules mean day to day.
Investors watching Peru’s security picture can look at how fast the money moves. Our earlier report on the police chief’s resignation in September shows the pressure on the force.
A prompt transfer would show that the new government can match its words with cash. A long delay would leave officers in dangerous zones waiting, and we will follow the next announcement from either ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the police risk bonus in Peru?
It is the Bonificación por Alto Riesgo a la Vida, a monthly payment for police officers and sub-officers serving in emergency zones. It can reach S/2,150 (about US$625 at S/3.4406 per US dollar).
Who said the bonuses will be paid?
Economy and Finance Minister Elmer Cuba said in the past few days that they are in the public budget. Interior Minister César Astudillo said on 5 November that the bonuses will be paid and there will be no clean slate.
When will officers receive the money?
No payment date has been announced. Officials have also not said how many officers are owed or what the total cost will be.
Do the ministers agree on funding?
Cuba says the money is in the public budget, while Astudillo says his ministry lacks funds right now. The two statements have not been reconciled.
Sources: Statements by Peru’s Economy and Finance Minister Elmer Cuba (interview published 7 November 2026) and Interior Minister César Astudillo (5 November 2026); Decreto Supremo 090-2023-EF, published in the official gazette El Peruano on 12 May 2023; exchange rate S/3.4406 per US$ (market close, 6 November 2026).