Inconvenient Fujimori
November 13, 2005
On November 7, 2005, the former president of Peru Alberto Fujimori unexpectedly arrived to Chile. Soon at the urgent request of the Embassy of Peru, he was arrested by the local police. The representative delegation from Peru urgently flew to Chile to demand extradition of the ex-president.
But Fujimori also has a Japanese citizenship. That is why representatives of the Japanese Embassy in Chile demonstrated interest towards the arrested person and requested to meet him.
The Peruvian government was outraged and declared, that Japan had no rights to interfere in the process of Fujimori's extradition. As a sign of protest the Peruvian government recalls its ambassador from Tokyo.
However, Japanese authorities claim that they are unaware of the reason thy the Peruvian authorities have taken such a decision. “I don't know the reason for recalling and do not think that it is connected with Fujimori”, - declared Taro Aso, head of the Japanese foreign policy agency.
And though the Japanese authorities deny connection of deportation of the Peruvian ex-president with recalling of the ambassador, analysts think that this step can become the reason for breaking up of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Peruvian authorities more than once used to demand from Tokyo to extradite Fujimori but Japan refused to extradite him on the plea that he had the Japanese citizenship.
Fujimori fled Peru to Japan in 2000, when his government got involved in the corruption scandal. Before this for ten years he was the President of this Latin American country. In March 2003 he was internationally outlawed. In Peru Alberto Fujimori is accused in corruption and complicacy to murdering of the "Sendero Luminoso" grouping members. Totally 21 charges were brought against the former president. However, in many cases, the proofs have not yet been presented.
All the recent months Fujimori carried out an active preparation to the coming in Peru presidential elections in 2006. He was neither stopped by court actions nor the fact that the Congress of Peru prohibited him to occupy public positions till February 2011.
A. Fujimori promised to appear in Peru early next year. He flew to Chile in a private aircraft. And even got accommodation in a hotel before being arrested. And Fujimori will have to wait behind the bars for the Chilean government decision on his extradition to Peru. The ex-president himself circulated through his spokesmen the statement, where he explained the reasons of his unexpected arrival to Santiago by preparation to return to Peru.
At present Chile is on the eve of the Presidential elections. Unexpected arrival of Fujimori added some stir to election battles, although it will unlikely influence the final results of the elections. The Chilean society had a complete delimitation in respect of Fujimori. The politician accuse each other of all mortal sins! Moreover the long smouldering argument between Peru and Chile on the sea border has flared up again just before. The officials, who allowed Fujimori into Chile, turned out to be at fault, and dismissal of 6 of them was already announced.
Violent manifestations of Peruvians and Chileans – both the advocates of the ex-president and his fierce opponents take place near the Embassy of Peru in Santiago. The similar picture can be observed in Lima as well.