Alberto Fujimori: behind the scenes of the meeting where the government of Dina Boluarte decided on his independence | principle

Boluarte Zegarra also expressed his concern about the TC ruling and solidarity with the relatives of the victims of the massacres in Barrios Altos and La Cantuta who were “affected” by the decision.

Today, his administration, already installed as head of state in the royal palace, decided to comply with the new ruling of the court, which ordered the release of the former president in compliance with the previous sentence. Despite the president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights urging the Peruvian government to refrain from releasing the Fujimori patriarch, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for aggravated murder and wounding.

El Comercio’s sources say that after this communication from the Inter-American Court, doubts arose within the executive as to whether or not Fujimori should be released. As of Tuesday, the Constitutional Court’s ruling had to be complied with.

The same sources said President Pollarde called a meeting at the Government Palace with Alberto Otorola, the head of the ministerial cabinet, and Eduardo Arana, the minister of justice and human rights, where they examined the different legal scenarios. The meeting ended early at 3:30 p.m., as the president scheduled his participation in the Expo Peru Regions 2023 forum.

read more: Alberto Fujimori: From PPK’s pardon, he returned to Barbadillo, until his release. [Cronología]

Other sources told this newspaper that a section of the administration is in favor of complying with the order of the Inter-American Court of Justice. They added that they were concerned about the impact that non-compliance with international agreements could have outside the country.

They also pointed out that another department in Otárola assessed the political consequences for the government of not releasing Fujimori.

In parallel, Fuerza Popular’s leader, Keiko Fujimori, and his younger brother, former congressman Kenji Fujimori, were on their way to Barbadillo Prison in Atte. Sources close to the Orange Dome indicated that they were not aware of the government’s decision at the time and that they expected the departure order to be issued “parallel” to Droz’s arrival.

Minutes after the arrival of the Fujimori Higuchi brothers, sources close to the government palace confirmed that a meeting between Boluarte, Otárola and Arana had decided to carry out the TC’s ruling.

“[Si no se hacía] The support of the Fujimoriistas in Congress was lost, as was expected, and the government lacked a bench.They noted.

Neither Boluarte nor Otárola have commented publicly on the move. Sources close to them indicated that Arana and Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olechia will be the spokesmen on the matter.

read more: Alberto Fujimori and TC: Who are the judges who ordered the ex-president’s release?

At Expo Peru Regions 2023, the president limited himself to calling for “peace” and unity for the country.

“So investment can be safe and secure, we need a peaceful country that creates confidence not only in private investors but also in foreign investors,” he said.

The National Penitentiary Institute (INPE) was the first (and only institution, at the end of this note) to officially confirm this decision.

“The INPE, in accordance with the order of the Constitutional Court, will implement the release after processing the document in accordance with internal protocols, in order to immediately release the prisoner Alberto Fujimori,” the agency said. Tweet.

read more: Alberto Fujimori: What are the five convictions the PJ issued against him and the cases he has pending?

Orange side

Sources close to Fuerza Popular’s leadership said that beyond the celebrations held by Fujimori’s followers for his release, the Orange Party has asked its leaders and members of Congress for control. They added that the former president would stay out of politics and keep a low profile (for now).

“The health of the former president will be given priority in reuniting him with his family. For this reason, her family decided that she should live with Keiko Fujimori (the house in San Borja that belonged to former First Lady Susana Higuchi and was inherited by her children after her death), to be next to her granddaughters and closer to Kenji. . “The idea is for him to recover and there should be family therapy,” they said.

They also denied that the former head of state had “a political plan” for the short or medium term.

Other sources in the Fujimori leadership insisted they would not receive special treatment from the Boluarte government, although they respected his decision. If they choose not to obey the TC’s ruling, they will be subject to a constitutional complaint and other legal proceedings.

“We consider ourselves to be in the opposition and we have tried to censor ministers many times [solo lograron la del titular del Interior, Vicente Romero]”, they said.

In a conversation with El Comercio, Fujimori congressman Fernando Rospigliosi welcomed the government’s decision to implement the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

“[Si la liberación no se daba] It doesn’t mean breakdown, there is breakdown when there is an alliance, here there is no alliance with the government. Given the critical situation, we are undertaking an oversight function [social y económica] In Peru. Naturally, when we have to support the government, when they do the right things, that will be done,” he said.

read more: Alberto Fujimori: All the details of the Constitutional Court’s decision to acquit him

More info

Otarola also questioned the previous TC’s ruling in March 2022 that reinstated Fujimori’s pardon, deeming the sentence “breaks historical memory and international standards”. “Apart from the IACHR’s urgent precautionary action,” he said, the decision “must be controlled and enforced, which distinguishes democracy from dictatorship.”

On December 25, 2017, after PPK pardoned Fujimori, former Defense Minister Hollande Humala noted that former President Ollanda Humala had the “democratic honesty and courage to refuse a pardon to Fujimori”, whom he described as a “dictator”.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has registered a S/ 57 million civil compensation debt for the three cases in which Fujimori was convicted by the Justice Department.