Alberto Fujimori's Controversial Return to Politics
In a surprising turn of events, Alberto Fujimori, the former president of Peru, has announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential elections. This announcement was made public by his daughter, Keiko Fujimori, leader of the right-wing party Fuerza Popular. The announcement came through a video featuring a nostalgic melody, where Keiko recounted a conversation with her father. Despite his advanced age and legal complications, Alberto Fujimori expressed his desire to 'return to the political arena,' fully aware of the risks involved.
Legal and Health Challenges
Alberto Fujimori, who ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000, was imprisoned in 2009 for human rights violations, including massacres committed by army death squads in the early 1990s. Although he was pardoned in 2017 on humanitarian grounds, the pardon did not eliminate his criminal responsibility. Ernesto Blume, a former judge of Peru's Constitutional Court, emphasized that the pardon only forgave the remaining sentence but did not exonerate him. Additionally, Fujimori owes $15 million to the Peruvian State for various crimes, a debt he has yet to pay.
Despite these legal barriers, Keiko Fujimori insists that her father is the best candidate for the presidency. She argues that his health has improved significantly since his release, despite previous diagnoses of lung and tongue cancer, and a recent hip fracture. Critics, however, highlight the contradiction in his candidacy, given his previous release on grounds of poor health.
Political analysts like Fernando Tuesta believe that this move is a strategic ploy by Keiko Fujimori to set the political agenda and eventually pave her own way to the presidency. The National Elections Jury has yet to rule on the matter, but the announcement has already stirred significant controversy and opposition within the Peruvian populace.
- In August 1994, at just nineteen years old, Keiko Fujimori assumed the position of First Lady after her parents separated. Her mother, Susana Higuchi, reported that during Alberto Fujimori's authoritarian government, she was locked up by the Army Intelligence Service and tortured with electroshock discharges. Keiko has denied such abuses, labeling them as myths.
- Keiko Fujimori has lost the last three presidential elections by narrow margins. Her recent announcement regarding her father's candidacy has been seen by many as an attempt to regain political traction and visibility. The strategy involves creating expectations and setting the agenda, with the potential for Keiko to step in as a vice-presidential candidate if her father's candidacy is deemed inadmissible.
