93 Facts About Alberto Fujimori

Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto was a Peruvian politician, professor, and engineer who served as the 54th president of Peru from 1990 to 2000.

Alberto Fujimori emerged as a politician during the midst of the Internal conflict in Peru, the Peruvian Lost Decade, and the ensuing violence caused by the far-left guerilla group Shining Path.

Alberto Fujimori dissolved the Peruvian congress and supreme court, effectively making him a de-facto dictator of Peru.

Alberto Fujimori's tenureship is marked by severe authoritarian measures, excessive use of propaganda, entrenched political corruption, multiple cases of extrajudicial killings, and human rights violations.

Under the provisions of Plan Verde, Alberto Fujimori targeted members of Peru's indigenous community and subjected them to forced sterilizations.

In 2000 following his third term election, Alberto Fujimori was facing mounting allegations of widespread corruption and crimes against humanity, in his government.

Subsequently Alberto Fujimori fled to Japan, where he submitted his presidential resignation via fax.

In 2005, while Alberto Fujimori was visiting Santiago, Chile, he was arrested by the Carabineros de Chile by the request of Peru, and extradited to Lima to face charges in 2007.

Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but was unlawfully pardoned by president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2017, and was officially released in December 2023.

Alberto Kenya Fujimori Inomoto was born on July 26,1938 in the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru to Japanese parents Naoichi Fujimori and Mutsue Inomoto.

Alberto Fujimori's parents were originally from Kumamoto Prefecture and immigrated to Peru in 1934.

Alberto Fujimori's parents were Buddhists, but he was baptized and raised Catholic.

Alberto Fujimori obtained his early education at the Colegio Nuestra Senora de la Merced and La Rectora School.

Alberto Fujimori pursued his undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in 1957, graduating first in his class in 1961 with a degree in agricultural engineering.

Alberto Fujimori briefly lectured in mathematics at the university before moving to France to study physics at the University of Strasbourg.

In 1987, Alberto Fujimori became president of the National Assembly of University Rectors, a position that he held twice.

Alberto Fujimori hosted a TV show called Concertando from 1988 to 1989 on Peru's state-owned network, Canal 7.

In July 1997, the news magazine Caretas alleged that Alberto Fujimori was born in Japan, in his father's hometown of Kawachi, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Caretas alleged that Alberto Fujimori's mother declared having two children when she entered Peru; Alberto Fujimori was the second of four children.

Latin American scholars Cynthia McClintock and Fabian Vallas note that the issue appeared to have died down among Peruvians after the Japanese government announced in 2000 that "Alberto Fujimori's parents had registered his birth in the Japanese Embassy in Lima".

Quainton, personally told him that allegedly leaked documents of the Central Intelligence Agency purportedly being supportive of Alberto Fujimori's candidacy were authentic.

Alberto Fujimori won the 1990 presidential election as a dark horse candidate under the banner of Cambio 90 defeating Vargas Llosa in a surprising upset.

Alberto Fujimori capitalized on profound disenchantment with outgoing president Alan Garcia and the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance party.

Alberto Fujimori went on to adopt many of the policies outlined in the Plan Verde.

Alberto Fujimori was sworn in as president on 28 July 1990, allegedly his 52nd birthday.

De Soto proved to be influential to Alberto Fujimori, who began to repeat de Soto's advocacy for deregulating the Peruvian economy.

Alberto Fujimori's initiative relaxed private sector price controls, drastically reduced government subsidies and government employment, eliminated all exchange controls, and reduced restrictions on investment, imports, and capital.

Alberto Fujimori had difficulty combating the Shining Path due largely to what he perceived as intransigence and obstructionism in Congress.

Alberto Fujimori claimed the coup was necessary to break with the deeply entrenched special interests that were hindering him from rescuing Peru from the chaotic state in which Garcia had left it.

Alberto Fujimori's coup was immediately met with near-unanimous condemnation from the international community.

Negotiations between the OAS, the government, and opposition groups initially led Alberto Fujimori to propose a referendum to ratify the auto-coup, but the OAS rejected this.

Alberto Fujimori then proposed scheduling elections for a Democratic Constituent Congress, which would draft a new constitution to be ratified by a national referendum.

Alberto Fujimori, in turn, later received most of the participants of the November 1992 Venezuelan coup attempt as political asylees, who had fled to Peru after its failure.

Alberto Fujimori's autogolpe became a major obstacle to relations, as the United States immediately suspended all military and economic aid, with exceptions for counter-narcotic and humanitarian funds.

The 1993 Constitution allowed Alberto Fujimori to run for a second term, and in April 1995, at the height of his popularity, Alberto Fujimori easily won reelection with almost two-thirds of the vote.

Alberto Fujimori's supporters won comfortable majority in the new unicameral Congress.

Alberto Fujimori settled some issues with Chile, Peru's southern neighbor, which had been unresolved since the 1929 Treaty of Lima.

Modeling his rule after Pinochet, Alberto Fujimori reportedly enjoyed this nickname.

Shortly after Alberto Fujimori began his second term, his supporters in Congress passed a law of "authentic interpretation" which effectively allowed him to run for another term in 2000.

In late 1999, Alberto Fujimori announced that he would run for a third term.

The electoral authorities, which were politically sympathetic to Alberto Fujimori, accepted his argument that the two-term restriction did not apply to him, as it was enacted while he was already in office.

On 10 November, Alberto Fujimori won approval from Congress to hold elections on 8 April 2001.

In 2000, facing charges of corruption and human rights abuses, Alberto Fujimori fled Peru and took refuge in Japan.

Alberto Fujimori maintained a self-imposed exile until his arrest while visiting Chile in November 2005.

Alberto Fujimori was extradited to face criminal charges in Peru on 22 September 2007.

In December 2007, Alberto Fujimori was convicted of ordering an illegal search and seizure and was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

The pardon was overturned by the Supreme Court on 3 October 2018, and Alberto Fujimori was sent back to prison in January 2019.

Alberto Fujimori arranged meetings with the Supreme Court, tax authorities, and other powers in Peru to "coordinate the joint efforts to bring the criminal Fujimori from Japan".

Alberto Fujimori was alleged to be a coauthor, along with Vladimiro Montesinos, of the death-squad killings at Barrios Altos in 1991 and La Cantuta in 1992, respectively.

Alberto Fujimori maintained he had no knowledge of the arms-trading, and blamed Montesinos.

Alberto Fujimori dismissed the judicial proceedings underway against him as "politically motivated", citing Toledo's involvement.

Alberto Fujimori established a new political party in Peru, Si Cumple, working from Japan.

Alberto Fujimori hoped to participate in the 2006 presidential elections, but in February 2004, the Constitutional Court dismissed this possibility, because the ex-president was specifically barred by Congress from holding any office for ten years.

Alberto Fujimori saw the decision as unconstitutional, as did his supporters such as former congress members Luz Salgado, Martha Chavez and Fernan Altuve, who argued it was a "political" maneuver and that the only body with the authority to determine the matter was the National Elections Jury.

Alberto Fujimori remained in self-imposed exile in Japan, where he resided with his friend, the Catholic novelist Ayako Sono.

In September of that year, Alberto Fujimori obtained a new Peruvian passport in Tokyo and announced his intention to run in the upcoming 2006 national election.

Alberto Fujimori arrived in Chile in November 2005, but hours after his arrival there he was arrested following a arrest warrant issued by a Chilean judge, Peru then requested his extradition.

Alberto Fujimori was extradited from Chile to Peru in September 2007.

Alberto Fujimori admitted paying the money to Montesinos but claimed that he had later paid back the money to the state.

Alberto Fujimori admitted the charges but claimed that the charges were made to damage his daughter's presidential election campaign.

Alberto Fujimori pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment on 30 September 2009.

Press reports in late 2012 indicated that Alberto Fujimori was suffering from tongue cancer and other medical problems.

Alberto Fujimori's family asked President Ollanta Humala for a pardon.

President Humala rejected a pardon in 2013, saying that Alberto Fujimori's condition was not serious enough to warrant it.

In July 2016, with three days left in his term, President Humala said that there was insufficient time to evaluate a second request to pardon Alberto Fujimori, leaving the decision to his successor Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

Kuczynski's office stated that the hospitalized 79-year-old Alberto Fujimori had a "progressive, degenerative and incurable disease".

Alberto Fujimori was rushed to a hospital and returned to prison on 23 January 2019.

Alberto Fujimori's pardon was formally annulled on 13 February 2019.

In May 2023, the Supreme Court of Chile ordered Alberto Fujimori to testify regarding forced sterilizations that occurred between 1996 and 2000 during his government, with Chile attempting to decide if they would expand extradition charges against Alberto Fujimori to include the sterilizations, which would allow him to be prosecuted in Peru.

On 19 May 2023, Alberto Fujimori participated in a video call from Barbadillo Prison with justice officials in Chile defending his actions regarding sterilizations.

Two months before his death, on 14 July 2024, Keiko Alberto Fujimori announced her father's candidacy for the 2026 Peruvian general election, despite his legal impediments and difficulties related to old age and poor health.

In 1994, Alberto Fujimori separated from Higuchi and formally stripped her of the title First Lady in August 1994, appointing Keiko as first lady in her stead.

For some years before his death, Alberto Fujimori had gastrointestinal issues, heart problems and cancer.

Alberto Fujimori was in prison for several years following his presidency and was released on humanitarian grounds in December 2023.

Alberto Fujimori was diagnosed with tongue cancer in early 2024.

Alberto Fujimori made his last public appearance at a hospital after undergoing a CT scan on 4 September 2024.

Miguel Torres, a spokesperson for the Popular Force, added that Alberto Fujimori was going through a "difficult time".

Keiko Alberto Fujimori later confirmed her father's death on social media.

Thousands of Alberto Fujimori supporters arrived from various regions of the country to the wake, carrying portraits and making speeches in his honor.

Alberto Fujimori's funeral was attended by the incumbent president, Dina Boluarte, who offered a salute, and Keiko spoke during the funeral in front of a large portrait of her father.

Alberto Fujimori was buried at Campo Fe Cemetery in Huachipa, Lima.

Jamil Mahuad, former President of Ecuador, praised Alberto Fujimori and stated that he regretted "the loss of a friend".

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, expressed his condolences to Alberto Fujimori's family, citing his role in resolving the Japanese embassy hostage crisis.

Alberto Fujimori's tenure is perhaps best defined by his dramatic economic stabilization program, colloquially known as the "Fujishock", which produced significant, quantifiable improvements in Peru's economic indicators.

Alberto Fujimori was accused of a series of offences, including embezzlement of public funds, abuse of power, and corruption during almost 10 years as president, especially when he gained greater control after the self-coup.

Alberto Fujimori contended that these measures were both justified and necessary.

Insurgent activity was in decline by the end of 1992, and Alberto Fujimori took credit for this abatement, claiming that his campaign had largely eliminated the insurgent threat.

Guzman's capture was a political coup for Alberto Fujimori, who used it to great effect in the press; in an interview with documentarian Ellen Perry, Alberto Fujimori even noted that he specially ordered Guzman's prison jumpsuit to be white with black stripes, to enhance the image of his capture in the media.

Reportedly following socioeconomic objectives calling for the "total extermination" of "culturally backward and economically impoverished groups" determined by the Peruvian military in the Plan Verde, from 1996 to 2000, the Alberto Fujimori government oversaw a massive forced sterilization campaign known as the National Program for Reproductive Health and Family Planning.

The Nippon Foundation, headed by Ayako Sono, a Japanese novelist and personal friend of Alberto Fujimori, supported it as well.

Alberto Fujimori was credited by many Peruvians with bringing stability to the country after the violence and hyperinflation during the first Garcia administration.

Alberto Fujimori's government was permeated by a network of corruption organized by his associate Montesinos.

Alberto Fujimori again ran for president in the 2016 election, narrowly losing the runoff to Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, and again in the 2021 election, losing the runoff to Pedro Castillo.