Peru to scrutinize Venezuelan remittances amid crime concerns

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's government will monitor money transfers sent abroad from Venezuelans living in Peru, President Dina Boluarte announced on Tuesday, describing the measure as a response to rising crime that she linked to Venezuelan migrants.

The president made the announcement ahead of a strike by transport companies scheduled for Wednesday to demand greater government action on insecurity and extortion.

Boluarte described a "readjustment" to her government's migration policies in response to news reports of crimes committed by Venezuelans living in Peru.

She did not provide data on Venezuelan remittances linked to crime.

"We are going to demand that every Venezuelan who supposedly works legally presents their work contract, his rental contract... We are going to monitor the currencies or remittances that are sent out of the country, to find out where they generate that income," Boluarte said.

"Anyone who does not answer with certainty where their income comes from, well, we will go after them."

More than 1.5 million Venezuelans have migrated to Peru in recent years, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency.

The strike scheduled for Wednesday follows two others in recent weeks, when shopping centers and markets around Lima also closed their doors in support of the protests.

In late September, Peru's government declared a 60-day state of emergency in districts around Lima to put Peru's armed forces out on the streets and help police clamp down on a wave of extortions that has plagued the capital.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Alistair Bell)

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