Fujimori sneaking into Peru via the back door...?

i posted back on october 17 about former peruvian president alberto fujimori's plans to return to peru from japan and run for reelection next year despite an outstanding warrant for his arrest in peru on charges of murder and corruption committed during his decade-long presidency...

fujimori abandoned his office in 2000 and re-appeared in japan where he holds japanese citizenship... the japanese government consistently refused peru's request for his extradition... there was a great deal of public speculation on exactly how fujimori planned to return to peru... there are no direct flights from tokyo to lima which meant a likely stop in los angeles to change planes where he would almost certainly be arrested... it looks like he made it as far as santiago...

Fujimori, 67, who fled to Japan after a corruption scandal toppled his government in 2000, recently stated his intention to defy an international arrest warrant and return to Peru to run for president in 2006. He landed in a private plane in Santiago, the Chilean capital, Sunday afternoon and was arrested by Chilean officials without resisting at the Marriott Hotel early Monday morning. He was being held at a police training academy.

[...]

If extradited to Peru, Fujimori would face more than 20 criminal charges, from vote-buying to co-authoring murders carried out by army death squads. Among the most serious charges are the 1991 killings of 15 partygoers, including an 8-year-old boy, who were mistaken for leftist rebels.

[...]

Fujimori traveled to Chile on a private jet, which stopped briefly in Tijuana, Mexico, according to a statement by Mexican officials. His choice to try to enter Peru via Chile coincided with heightened tensions between the two countries over a maritime dispute over Pacific Ocean fishing grounds.

"It's a pretty . . . imprudent attitude to come here with no warning during the week that has been the worst one we've had with Peru in the last 10 years," said Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker, the Associated Press reported.

"imprudent..." yeah, you could say that...

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