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Speaking Lightly on Alberto Fujimori

Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori. AP file photo.

By Avy Mallik

Alberto Fujimori is often lauded for being the first Asian to govern a country outside of Asia. But critics of the former president of Peru allege he is a corrupt embezzler who fled the country and left it in economic shambles.

With the recent crackdown on many of Fujimori’s top aides, including his right-hand man, Vladimiro Montesinos, both the Japanese and Peruvian public are speculating on whether Japan will agree to send Fujimori back to Peru. The Japanese have been reluctant to appease the Peruvian clamor for Fujimori’s return to his home country, citing that he was, in fact, born in Japan and is, therefore, a Japanese citizen.

In 1990, Alberto Fujimori was elected as president of Peru. Most Peruvians felt that this agricultural economist, a one-point-five-generation Peruvian of Japanese descent, could turn around the economic chaos that his leftist predecessors had instilled. He seemed successful at first. Under his leadership, Peru was able to borrow money from international organizations. His severe style in dealing with inflation and other economic woes won him many followers and earned him a landslide victory in the presidential election in 1995. Fujimori also restricted the power of the parliament and his opponents, enabling him to increase his authority.

By September 17, 2000, though, all was not well. Faced with charges of election-rigging (Fujimori had won an unprecedented third election in a closely-fought runoff), and bribery to opposition leaders, Fujimori seemed ready to concede his presidential powers. He ordered another election, in which he did not run. The move was also an attempt to end speculation that he was involved in wrongdoing with his chief spy, Vladimiro Montesinos. Montesinos is said to have influenced money laundering, drug trafficking, and arms dealing. He is also accused of conducting numerous human rights violations.

Japanese Americans Remain Neutral

In the meantime, Fujimori has not caused much of a stir in the Japanese American community. Patty Wada, a spokesperson for the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) stated, “We haven’t taken a position on this issue.” This notion seems to be embraced by most Japanese Americans.

úince many Japanese in this country are third- and fourth-generation Americans, they don’t identify with current events in Japan. Unlike most Asian populations in the United States, the Japanese influx of immigrants occurred more than 80 years ago.

The fact that Fujimori was the leader of Peru, a country that has no direct connection with Japan, also comes into play. “The Fujimori issue is a matter that deals with South America,” Wada said. “The Japanese community doesn’t ordinarily deal with issues from that region.”

Fujimori defected to Japan during an unscheduled trip in late 2000. The Japanese government offered him citizenship on the grounds that his parents were of Japanese ancestry. It is ironic that Fujimori had previously given the impression to Peruvians that he was first and foremost Peruvian, not Japanese. Since there is no extradition agreement between Japan and Peru, Fujimori’s stay in Japan is guaranteed for the near future.

The Japanese consulate is hesitant to comment on Fujimori. It is a sensitive topic for Japanese diplomats, with Peru withdrawing their consul general to Japan. Venezuela has also withdrawn their ambassador to Peru, citing unhappiness over the method in which Montesinos was captured from Venezuelan soil.

ûI hope that [the Fujimori issue] won’t damage relations between Peru and Japan,” said a Japanese diplomat in San Francisco, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “This problem should be handled with all applicable Japanese and international laws in†mind. I hope that the Japanese government responds [cooperatively] to all of the requests and concerns of the Peruvian government.”

Asked whether this topic was inflamed because Fujimori is Japanese, the Japanese diplomat responded, “I don’t think that race is a major issue here.”