Polls & Research

Peruvians Call for Fujimori’s Extradition

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A vast majority of people in Peru's capital area think a former president should face criminal charges in the country, according to a poll by Universidad de Lima. 82.6 per cent of respondents in Lima and Callao think Alberto Fujimori should be extradited to Peru.

Fujimori administered the Peruvian government from 1990 to 2000. He left office after a series of corruption allegations and settled in Japan. In July 2003, the Peruvian government officially requested Fujimori's extradition, which was denied. In November 2005, Fujimori was detained in Chile on the basis of an international warrant.

The list of Fujimori's alleged offences includes misuse of public funds, kidnapping and murder. In the early 1990s, Fujimori launched a crackdown on armed groups. A government-backed paramilitary squad known as the Colina Group was involved in two separate operations, which left 25 people dead in 1991 and 1992.

Vladimiro Montesinos was Fujimori's closest advisor and the head of Peru's National Intelligence Service (SIN) during his decade-long tenure. To this day, Montesinos has been convicted in 13 different trials for crimes such as plotting against national security, arms dealing and embezzlement. He is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Peru and awaiting a verdict on other 50 or so processes against him.

The 68-year-old Fujimori recently denied rumours that he is seeking political asylum in Japan through the Japanese embassy in Chile, saying, "That would be like thinking I had crossed the entire Pacific Ocean to get to Chile, simply to say that I was going to return to Japan. (...) It's not logical, and I'm always driven by logic."

Fujimori is not allowed to leave Chile, but he can move freely within the country. His extradition request by the Peruvian government is being studied by the Chilean courts. A decision is expected to be reached by the end of the month.

Polling Data

Do you think former president Alberto Fujimori should be extradited to Peru?