Peru Authorities Suggest Indonesian Embassy Official’s Killing Was Premeditated
The death of an Indonesian embassy official in Lima on Monday night is believed to have been a targeted killing, according to Peruvian officials.
Zetro Leonardo Purba, 40, an employee at the Indonesian embassy, was fatally shot while cycling home to his apartment in Lima’s Lince district.
Footage obtained by CuriosityNews shows the attacker shooting Purba at close range before firing again as he lay on the ground. The assailant then fled on the back of a waiting motorcycle. Purba’s wife was seen with him before he was taken to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities from the public prosecutor’s office and the homicide division are investigating the case. Police are analyzing video evidence that shows the suspects monitoring Purba’s home in the days leading up to the attack.
The killing has caused outrage in Peru, where contract killings and extortion have risen but rarely involve foreign victims. Official data indicates over 1,500 homicides so far in 2025, marking a more than 20% increase compared to the previous year.
Interior Minister Carlos Malaver referred to the case as a premeditated killing.
“No belongings were taken. The attackers were waiting for him and shot him in the head… We are not discarding any possibilities,” Malaver told lawmakers while discussing rising crime rates.
Peru’s foreign ministry condemned the attack and announced that Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer visited the hospital where Purba died. The ministry also pledged to increase security for Indonesian embassy staff.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono confirmed that Purba had been working at the embassy in Lima for five months and described him as a committed diplomat. Purba is survived by his wife and three children.
Sugiono expressed his condolences and stated he was in contact with Schialer, urging a “swift, transparent, and thorough investigation while ensuring maximum protection for diplomatic personnel and Indonesian citizens in Peru.”
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