“The embassy is taking care of the victim’s family, including moving them to a safer place,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela said in a statement here on Thursday.
Local police are now guarding the family. The Indonesian Embassy has also opened a 24-hour hotline and WhatsApp group to help Indonesian nationals in Peru stay informed and safe, he added.
The victim, Zetro Leonardo Purba, a junior officer at the Indonesian Embassy in Lima, was shot and killed near his home on Monday (September 1).
Security footage shows the gunman waiting before firing three shots and fleeing on a motorbike. Nothing was stolen.
Purba had been in Peru for five months after serving at the Indonesian Consulate in Melbourne.
Related news: Indonesia urges Peru to investigate fatal shooting of embassy staffer
Deputy Foreign Minister Anis Matta said there was no indication Purba had been threatened, but confirmed the shooting occurred shortly after he withdrew cash from an ATM. He said the case could have been a robbery.
Peru’s Interior Minister, however, called the case a “qualified homicide,” suggesting it may have been a targeted killing.
Foreign Minister Sugiono has urged the Peruvian government to ensure the safety of all Indonesian citizens and embassy staff. He has spoken with Indonesian Ambassador to Peru Ricky Suhendar and with Purba’s wife.
Sugiono also instructed Ambassador Suhendar to closely monitor the investigation and assist with the repatriation of Purba’s body to Indonesia.
In Jakarta, lawmakers urged the Foreign Ministry to review safety protocols for diplomats abroad.
Dave Laksono, deputy chair of the House of Representatives’ Commission on Foreign Affairs, called the killing “deeply disturbing” and stressed that the government must act quickly.
“This is a tragedy that must not be ignored. We need justice, and we must protect our diplomats better,” he said.
Peruvian police have launched an investigation, and the Indonesian Embassy is working closely with local authorities.
Related news: Indonesia to review protection scheme for diplomats abroad
Translator: Nabil I, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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