The Fall of Alberto Fujimori

Soon after Abimael Guzman was captured by the government led by Alberto Fujimori, his ideologies did not die and continued to be nurtured by his followers and people who had a similar mindset as him. The Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA for short) was a Peruvian Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group. This group directly competed against The Shining Path, but since Guzman’s capture, MRTA took their chance and became the dominating group. Four years after the self-administered coup of Alberto Fujimori and the capture of Sendero Luminoso’s leader, 14 members of MRTA detonated bombs through the walls of the Japanese ambassador’s residence and took him and other diplomats as hostage. They released most of the hostages such as women, and only kept the men who were tied to the Peruvian government, which left them with 72 hostages total. This was done because MRTA could simply not control the original 700 hostages that were there. 

 

Five days later, on December 22nd, President at the time Alberto Fujimori finally spoke on the issue in a televised speech. He announced that he would do whatever he could possible to help but refused foreign help because he deduced it to accepting government assistance. 

 

MRTA demanded the release of of their members from prisons, better prison conditions and a revisal of government's neoliberal reforms. 

 

Fujimori finally responded by starting operation Chavín de Huántar, named after an archeological site of the same name famous for its underground passages. Fujimori recruited indigenous men from the highlands to dig tunnels under the building and Israeli soldiers to train his army. After the tunnels were built, they placed bombs underneath the houses were the hostages were being held. As soon as they bombs detonated, the army swarm in and killed all the rebels in sight.

 

The Peruvian masses raved and Fujimori rose in popularity once again. People felt safe. Fujimori captured two political terrorist groups with only a few years in power. But, this did not last long. 

 

Rumors after rumors came out of poor indigenous women and men being sterilized against their wills. The Fujimori government would use these people's lack of schooling to sign over their reproductive rights. Women would come in asking for birth certificates and hospital workers would make them sign a document acknowledging permission for a tubal ligation. One woman, Rudecina Quilla claims to have been forced to sign away her rights without knowing and when she protested that she did not agree to this procedure, hospital workers tied her down and injected her with anesthetic. When she awoke from her traumatic surgery, hospital workers told her she would no longer reproduce like an animal ever again. 

 

Accusations of Fujimori torturing whoever opposed him, including his own wife, were appearing more and more, but this alone did not end his regime. Instead, what did was a leaked videotape of Vladimiro Montesinos, head of Fujimori's intelligence service, bribing congressmen to switch sides in order for Fujimori to gain more control. After this videotape was released, Fujimori renounced his place as president after escaping to Japan. He refused to return to Peru but agreed to give information directly from Japan. He admitted everything he and Montesinos did from taking credit to murders and disappearances, stealing and mishandling money meant for Peruvian citizens to bribing journalists and politicians. His reign of power finally ended, but just like Sendero, his ideology remained in the hearts and minds of his supporters. 

  

References

(2021). Retrieved 2 November 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/12/19/peruvian-guerrillas-hold-hundreds-hostage/12e5467a-6e2e-4baa-9e07-3f4dff3f6d9a/.

Alberto Fujimori - Rise and Fall. Projects.exeter.ac.uk. (2021). Retrieved 2 November 2021, from https://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/inca/fujimori.html.

Peru: the disintegration of the Fujimori regime. World Socialist Web Site. (2021). Retrieved 2 November 2021, from https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2000/09/peru-s21.html.

The Dramatic Hostage Crisis and Daring Rescue at the Japanese Embassy in Peru. Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training. (2021). Retrieved 2 November 2021, from https://adst.org/2013/12/the-dramatic-hostage-crisis-and-daring-rescue-at-the-japanese-embassy-in-peru/.