LIMA:
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, known for his economic reforms and controversial leadership in the 1990s, has died at age 86 from cancer. Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants, was elected in 1990 and quickly established himself as a strategic politician.
He implemented important reforms, including combating hyperinflation and privatizing state-owned enterprises, which laid the foundation for Peru’s economic stability.
His leadership also saw the capture of Abimael Guzmán, leader of the Maoist Shining Path, significantly weakening the insurgency that threatened the state.
However, Fujimori’s tenure was marred by autocratic actions, including shutting down Congress in 1992 to consolidate power and introduce new anti-terrorism laws.
Despite his achievements, public opinion turned against him due to corruption scandals, particularly after videos surfaced showing his advisor, Vladimiro Montesinos, bribing politicians. Following these revelations, Fujimori fled to Japan, where he resigned from his position and lived in exile.
In 2005, he made a surprising attempt to return to Peru, seeking a political pardon, but was arrested in Chile and extradited. In 2009, he was convicted of human rights violations and corruption and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Fujimori’s health deteriorated in prison, with multiple hospital visits, although critics questioned whether his illnesses were exaggerated to secure his release.
In 2017, then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski briefly pardoned him, but that decision was reversed months later. Fujimori was eventually released in 2023 after a court reinstated the pardon, following serious health problems, including cancer.
Fujimori’s political legacy remains divisive. While some praise his role in stabilizing Peru’s economy and defeating insurgencies, others condemn his authoritarian tactics and human rights abuses.
His daughter Keiko Fujimori, a prominent political figure, has been a staunch defender of his legacy, pleading for his pardon and seeking to maintain his political influence. Fujimori’s rise from a little-known academic to a transformative but controversial leader left a lasting impact on the Peruvian political landscape.
