2023-12-07 13:08:54
Page/12 in Peru
From Lima
Peru lived a black day for justice and human rights. Former dictator Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for crimes once morest humanity, was freed due to a questioned pardon given in 2017, later annulled for being considered illegal and a few days ago resurrected by the Constitutional Court (TC) in a split decision. .
The release of Fujimori flouts resolutions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR Court), which has described the pardon as illegal, and which issued a resolution stating that the Peruvian State should refrain from releasing him “to guarantee the right of access to justice.” of the victims.”
The complicity of the president
The government of Dina Boluarte, an ally of Fujimori, decided to fail to comply with the ruling of the Inter-American Court, whose resolutions are mandatory, and to release Fujimori in accordance with the Constitutional Court. This puts the Peruvian State once morest the inter-American human rights system. With the slogan “pardon is an insult” protests have been called once morest the release of the former president who between 1990 and 2000 led an authoritarian and corrupt government.
Fujimori left prison to the home of his daughter Keiko – his political heir – in an exclusive neighborhood of the capital. Keiko had arrived at the prison along with her brother Kenji before her father was released. They waited for her to leave with Fujimori leaders and congressmen at the door of the prison, an exclusive prison for former presidents inside a police barracks.
Old faces of the dictatorship paraded through the prison, coming out like ghosts from dark times and new faces of Fujimorism led by Keiko and worshiping the dictator convicted of treacherous murder and aggravated kidnapping.
At the end of Wednesday followingnoon, the metal door of the prison opened and Fujimori emerged with a poorly placed mask. He hugged his children. Fujimori leaders, family companions and police took photos of him with their cell phones. The father and two sons got into a family van parked at the door of the prison. They sat in the back seat and left the police station. Dozens of supporters were waiting for them on the street. The truck moved slowly, making its way through the people who cheered the former dictator. The song “Chino, Chino, Chino…” was playing, used in the electoral campaign for the 2000 elections that Fujimori won by fraud.
Violent groups celebrate
Among the celebrating supporters were members of the violent group La Resistencia, a far-right shock force that harasses and attacks journalists, politicians, magistrates and anyone who is not aligned with its extremist positions. In a caravan with police guard they arrived at Keiko’s house, a journey of more than an hour. More sympathizers were waiting for them. At the door of the house, Keiko thanked the authorities who freed his father.
The restored pardon was given on Christmas night 2017 by then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. He did so arguing a humanitarian pardon for the former dictator’s alleged poor health. But the reality is that it was an exchange of impunity for Fujimori votes in favor of Kuczynski in an impeachment process in Congress on corruption charges.
Fujimori’s serious health condition to pardon him was a farce. The former dictator was released with a pardon, but months later he returned to prison. In May 2018, the Inter-American Court ordered the Peruvian State to review the legality of the pardon and in October of that year the Supreme Court annulled it. In March 2022, the TC restored the pardon that had been annulled and ordered Fujimori released. The Inter-American Court ruled, as has happened now, once morest that decision. On that occasion, the government of then-president Pedro Castillo decided to abide by the provisions of the international court and Fujimori was not released. A few days ago the TC insisted on resurrecting the pardon and once once more ordered Fujimori’s freedom. This time, unlike what happened in 2022, the government sided with the TC and Fujimori and he was released.
The lawyers of the victims of Fujimorism, human rights organizations and broad sectors demand that the provisions of the Inter-American Court once morest the pardon be complied with and Fujimori’s release be revoked. This international organization must meet to review the case and Peru’s failure to comply with its resolutions, which might lead to sanctions once morest Peru. The Inter-American Court has already indicated that this pardon does not meet the conditions required to grant it, such as a serious state of health, it does not contribute to the clarification of the truth, there is no admission of the seriousness of his crimes, he has not paid civil compensation nor has he requested forgiveness to the victims.
Sentence
Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in 2009 by a Supreme Court tribunal for the shooting murder in November 1991 of fifteen people, including an eight-year-old boy, in a modest home in Barrios Altos in Lima, and for the kidnapping , murder and disappearance of nine students and a professor from the La Cantuta University in July 1992. These crimes were committed by a clandestine army detachment that operated as a death squad, called the Colina group, formed by the Fujimori regime that operated under orders and protection of Fujimori. They are two emblematic cases of human rights violations, but not the only murders of the Colina group. He was also convicted of the kidnapping of journalist Gustavo Gorriti and businessman Samuel Dyer. In addition to this conviction, he received other sentences for corruption, paying bribes to the media and espionage.
Fujimori came to power in 1990 following surprisingly defeating Mario Vargas Llosa, candidate of a right-wing coalition, in the elections. Until then he was unknown, baptized and popularized as “the Chinese” in the campaign, and won with a speech once morest the neoliberalism that the writer defended. Once in the presidency, Fujimori broke all his promises and launched a neoliberal policy.
The hit
In April 1992 he staged a coup to capture all power. He closed Congress, the Judiciary and the Prosecutor’s Office intervened, he censored the media and bribed their owners to have their support, he repressed unions and social organizations. He initiated an authoritarian government hand in hand with the military. He toughened his neoliberal economic policy with massive privatizations denounced as corruption, benefits to large companies and elimination of labor rights. He combined this policy with widespread clientelism that gave him support in popular sectors.
With total control of power and the big media, he called elections for a new Congress in which he had an absolute majority. He changed the Constitution to impose a neoliberal Magna Carta and make his re-election possible. He was re-elected in 1995 and 2000 following fraudulent elections that sparked massive protests. In November 2000, Fujimori fled the country as his regime collapsed amid scandals of electoral fraud, corruption and human rights violations. He fled to Japan, the country of his parents, which allowed him to assume that nationality to avoid justice. In November 2005 he made a surprise trip to Chile, where he was detained and then extradited to Peru in September 2007 to stand trial.
Fujimori is now free, but this is questioned by international justice and he now faces a prosecutor’s request for preventive detention for a new trial, in this case for the disappearance of six farmers. Impunity has won this time and Fujimorism and the right celebrate. But it is a triumph that may not be definitive.
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