Forced sterilization in Peru

Under the administration of President Alberto Fujimori, Peru implemented a forced sterilization campaign as part of the National Population Program, primarily targeting impoverished and indigenous women in rural Andean regions. This effort, regarded as the largest state-sponsored sterilization initiative in the Americas,^[1] was publicly presented as a progressive strategy for promoting reproductive health and economic development. However, it has been broadly denounced for its coercive methods and associated human rights abuses.

The program drew on long-standing eugenic doctrines and neo-Malthusian theories, which linked excessive population growth to poverty and national instability. These concepts were encapsulated in Plan Verde, a military strategy conceived during the Peruvian Civil War (1980–2000). Under Fujimori, these ideas were transformed into a systematic policy purportedly designed to reduce poverty and high birth rates.

Women were frequently sterilized without informed consent, sometimes under pressure or in exchange for basic necessities such as food or healthcare. Medical personnel received monetary bonuses—typically ranging from four to ten dollars—for each sterilization they conducted, and promotions were tied to achieving specific targets. Failure to meet these quotas could negatively affect a health worker's career. Between 1996 and 2000, an estimated 300,000 sterilizations took place, disproportionately impacting indigenous communities.

Numerous international and domestic organizations have condemned the campaign as a crime against humanity, with some categorizing it as ethnic cleansing or genocide. Efforts to prosecute those responsible have encountered legal and political barriers, resulting in limited accountability. In recent years, victims and advocacy groups have sought formal recognition and justice, though significant hurdles remain in obtaining comprehensive reparations and ensuring full responsibility for those involved.