How did the international press cover Alberto Fujimori’s release (and what do they think of the controversial case abroad)?

After several comings and goings on the afternoon of this Wednesday, the 6th, the former president was released Alberto Fujimori (1990 – 2000), after serving 14 of the 25 years in prison he was sentenced to for the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta massacres. in accordance with a decision issued by the Constitutional Court.

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The order from the highest Peruvian court, however, generated great controversy because it contradicts the resolution issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Inter-American Court) that urged the Peruvian State to refrain from releasing the former dictator.

This controversy was not just limited to our country, but was an event of interest covered by several international media outlets. Below, see the headlines with which some of the main media outlets presented the news.

In Chile, the country chosen by Fujimori in 2005 to end his refuge in Japan after resigning from the presidency in the face of corruption scandals during his government, the release of the former president was widely covered by the media, mainly on television.

“In the Chilean media, issues related to Fujimori have always had a lot of space and on Wednesday it was international news that received the most coverage. Most of the media – if not all – were waiting for the news, they reported when he would be released and when he did it was announced as last minute. Chile was keeping an eye on the surroundings of Barbadillo prison“, he comments The trade the international journalist for Chilean National Television (TVN) Sofía Norman.

The communicator explains that the interest in the southern neighbor originates from the extradition of Fujimori to Peru in 2007. “There was always a doubt as to whether it was known that he would come in 2005 or was it a real surprise as many said at the time. This is why Chile has always been attentive to the Fujimori Case, we played a fundamental role in his extradition”Norman observes.

The journalist guarantees that, as in Peru, Chilean public opinion is polarized in relation to the figure of Fujimori. “Here we are very impressed by the fact that despite being such a criticized character, the figure of Fujimorismo remains so current. As for his release, it is controversial because it was expected that, being a former president, he would serve time in a real prison. I dare say that the majority of Chileans condemn his release, especially for the crimes he committed. We are talking about crimes against humanity, about investigations into forced sterilizations. These are events condemned by the Chilean population.“, he argues.

Norman adds, however, that “There are people who do not agree that he was tried and who justify his actions with results such as having effectively fought Shining Path or having saved Peru from an economic collapse. In Chile there are many people who value these factors more than the deaths involved.”.

“On the political side, it affects Peru’s image, especially since we saw that Dina Boluarte’s government not only recognized but supported the Constitutional Court’s decision.”, says Normando.

In this sense, most international critics point to the challenge launched by the Peruvian State to the Inter-American Court.

From Colombia, the editor of the International section of Noticias RCN, Paola Toro, explains that Fujimori’s release is perceived in her country as “yet another ingredient that adds to the cocktail of instability and crisis that Peru is experiencing”.

Regarding the challenge to the Inter-American Court, Toro agrees with Norman and adds that “It also raises questions among some sectors of the population, such as: where is the rule of law, justice and reparation? This release can even be seen as a blow to the families of the victims, who today continue to demand accountability from the former president for the crimes for which he was convicted.”.

Although coverage in Colombia has not reached the same intensity as in Chile, Toro guarantees that the news generated an echo and that above all there is “awaiting the subsequent pronouncements of the Inter-American Court and the actions that are developing internally in Peru”.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.