Peru’s former President Alberto Fujimori has died at the age of 86, confirmed by his daughter. Fujimori, who governed Peru from 1990 to 2000, was forced from office amid corruption allegations. His presidency, marked by a hardline approach against a left-wing guerrilla insurgency, also saw allegations of human rights abuses.
Fujimori fled the country but was later arrested, extradited, and convicted of corruption, abuse of power, and involvement in two death squad massacres from the early 1990s. He was released from Lima’s Barbadillo prison last December after more than 15 years, following the reinstatement of a presidential pardon issued six years earlier.
At the time of his pardon, he was serving a 25-year prison sentence.
“After a long battle with cancer, our father, Alberto Fujimori, has just departed to meet the Lord,” his children—Keiko, Hiro, Sachie, and Kenji—said in a joint statement. “We ask those who loved him to join us in praying for the eternal rest of his soul. Thank you for so much, Dad!”
Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants, ruled with an iron fist. His tenure saw a severe crackdown on violent insurgencies, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 69,000 people. When sentenced to prison in 2009, it was widely believed that he would spend the rest of his life incarcerated. However, in December 2017, he was moved to a hospital due to health issues including low blood pressure and an abnormal heart rhythm.
That month, then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski granted him a pardon, citing his incurable illness and the grave risk prison posed to his life.
