Fujimori and Montesinos: Power, Politics, and Scandal in Peru

Fujimori and Montesinos: Power, Politics, and Scandal in Peru

The Conflict

Alberto Fujimori served as president of Peru for ten years, from 1990 to 2000. Vladimiro Montesinos was the shadowy figure behind Fujimori's success. Employing near totalitarian rule under the auspices of a democratic society, Fujimori fell from power in September 2000, when he was implicated in a web of corruption, blackmail, and bribery run by Montesinos, his long-time advisor. With Fujimori fleeing to his ancestral homeland of Japan and Montesinos on the run from authorities, Peru faces the challenge of rebuilding its fragile democracy.

Political

• After first being elected president in 1990, Fujimori successfully battled the problems of hyperinflation and the onslaught of the rebel group Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), which had crippled the nation for the previous decade.
• Fujimori was reelected in 1995 under a new constitution that centralized power in the office of the president and his actions as president became increasingly autocratic.
• Amidst widespread allegations of election fraud, Fujimori ran and won the election for the presidency again in 2000, even though the constitution prohibited a third term.
• After Fujimori fled Peru and stepped down as president, new elections brought Alejandro Toledo to power.

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