A private school in Lima, Peru, has accused the city’s municipal government of illegally entering its property and beginning construction work related to a long-delayed highway project. The incident has disrupted classes and raised concerns about potential further encroachment on the school’s land.
According to a statement released by Hiram Bingham The British International School of Lima, personnel from the Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima (MML) entered the school grounds in the early hours of February 27, 2026, using heavy machinery to demolish perimeter walls, landscaping, a roundabout, and a covered pedestrian walkway connecting different sections of the school. The school alleges the entry occurred without prior notification.
The affected area, spanning 2,374.79 square meters, had been used as a soccer field and play area for younger students. School officials also stated that the area housed internet fiber optic cables, irrigation systems, green spaces, and sewage lines.
The school was divided in half by the construction work.
/ EL COMERCIO
Classes resumed on March 4, 2026, with primary and secondary students relocated to different buildings within the school as a result of the construction. The school has been forced to reroute traffic, using Avenida Los Vicus as the main entrance after access via Avenida Paseo La Castellana was blocked. This situation highlights the challenges faced by educational institutions when infrastructure projects intersect with private property.
“We have had to move the primary school classrooms to the building on Avenida Los Vicus to accommodate all our students and begin classes,” school representatives said in a statement. “The building facing Avenida La Castellana is no longer operational. This incident is seriously affecting our educational community, not only as of the indignation that the municipality is carrying out a public work on private land, but also because of the fear that the municipality will grab other measures to continue affecting us.”
The entrance on Los Vicus is now the main access point due to construction on La Castellana.
/ CESAR CAMPOS / EL COMERCIO
– EMAPE Disputes Claims –
The Empresa Municipal Administradora de Peaje de Lima (EMAPE), the municipal toll road administration company responsible for the Vía Expresa Sur project, released a statement claiming the actions were taken in accordance with a prior agreement. According to EMAPE, a meeting was held on October 9, 2025, with representatives from Hiram Bingham, resulting in an agreement for the transfer of the land in question.
EMAPE’s statement to the public.
/ EMAPE
EMAPE stated that the agreement stipulated the school would deliver the land “free of occupants and any impediment to the execution of the work ‘Continuation Paseo La Castellana.’” The company maintains that the February 27 intervention was carried out within the bounds of that agreement.
School representatives, however, dispute EMAPE’s characterization, confirming that an agreement was signed but not implemented. They claim the municipality failed to initiate the necessary expropriation or direct negotiation procedures and did not provide compensation for the land. “The municipality now intends to carry out the work invoking this act, but without having fulfilled the prior payment or compensated for the loss of the property, as the law requires,” they said.
Traffic congestion on Avenida Los Vicus at school dismissal time.
/ CESAR CAMPOS / EL COMERCIO
Residents in the area also reported increased traffic congestion due to the construction, turning nearby streets into makeshift parking lots. They also expressed concerns about the fate of trees along Avenida La Castellana.
