Police in Peru hunt gunman after Indonesian embassy diplomat shot dead in Lima

LIMA, Peru (AP) — An Indonesian diplomat was shot dead in Peru’s capital as he arrived on a bicycle to his apartment building, police said Tuesday.

Zetro Leonardo Purba, 40, who was attached to the Indonesian Embassy in Lima, was shot three times on Monday night.

Authorities said Purba was taken to a hospital but was later declared dead. Officials didn’t immediately provide a motive for the shooting.

Police released footage from two surveillance cameras that show a person wearing a helmet firing twice at the diplomat, who then falls to the ground. The images then show the suspect shooting the diplomat a third time and fleeing on a motorcycle driven by another person.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, in a statement, called for a “thorough, transparent, and expeditious investigation, as well as the maximum possible protection for diplomatic personnel and Indonesian citizens in Peru.” Sugiono, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.

Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the homicide “will be thoroughly investigated and all necessary assistance and protection will be provided” to Indonesia’s ambassador and embassy staff.

The government of President Dina Boluarte has struggled to respond to a rise in homicides and extortion in Peru.

Official figures show that 6,041 people were killed between January and mid-August, the highest number during the same period since 2017. Meanwhile, extortion complaints totaled 15,989 between January and July, a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2024.