Posted on 04/07/2009 5:20:13 PM PDT by Racehorse
The conviction Tuesday of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on human rights charges – including authorizing murder and kidnapping – has been hailed by some as a milestone for justice in Latin America.
Mr. Fujimori, who ruled Peru throughout the 1990s, is the first democratically elected leader in the region found guilty, in his own country, of human rights abuses.
But the conviction is also an important moment for national healing in Peru, says Efrain Gonzales, the vice rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima.
While about one third of the country still supports the former leader, he says Peru can move forward from old tensions that surfaced during the 15-month trial. "It is an acceptance that we had a problem. He is guilty. There is a lot of evidence against him," says Mr. Gonzales. "The nation can move forward from here."
Some 70,000 people were killed during a 20-year conflict between the military and Maoist guerrillas in Peru. Fujimori, who was elected in 1990, was widely popular for free-market economic policies that saved Peru from near collapse and for defeating the Shining Path guerrilla fighters.
But amid corruption charges, his administration faltered and he fled to Japan, where his parents were born, in 2000. Five years later he attempted a return to Chile, apparently to begin a political comeback, but was extradited to Peru in 2007 to face human rights and corruption charges.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Fuji saved Peru from the Khmer Rouge of South America. For that alone he should be made a saint.
Too many stupid people and communists in L.A. I say nuke them all and let the animals have the continent back to enjoy.
They are giving Fujimori the Pinochet treatment. Two men who fought to save their countries from the tyranny of communism and terrorism.
Should be interesting to see the reaction to this in Japan - he was something of a national hero there.
And Hugo Chavez too. The real "milestone" here is to teach leaders in Latin America never to be foolish enough to step down after losing an election - as Fujimori and Pinochet did.
They’re going after the Bolivian president, too. He was driven out by a combination of “indigenist” groups (native peoples egged on by Marxists) and labor unions (radical Marxists). Oppose the left - and get hauled before a kangaroo court once they’ve driven you out and are in power.
Exactly. Do the right thing, and relinquish power voluntarily, and prepare for lynching.
Basically, it’s kicking a man when he’s already down.
Industrial plants in Peru erected fences and guard towers on their perimeters to protect themselves from the “Shining Path” terrorists. Under Fujimori, the country experienced economic growth and political stability; tourism (yes even for eco-manics) surged. It’s a dark day for Peru, Bolivia and Equador with all of their communists.
Compared to the alternatives?
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