Alberto Fujimori Fujimori, born on July 28, 1938, in Lima, is one of the most controversial political figures in Peruvian history. He served as president of Peru from 1990 to 2000, a period during which he implemented drastic economic reforms and played a key role in fighting the Maoist terrorist group Shining Path. However, his regime was also marked by human rights abuses, corruption, and growing authoritarianism, which ultimately led to his flight and ousting in 2000.
Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants, studied science and mathematics before earning a PhD in physics. Before entering politics, he was a university professor and rector of the National University of Engineering in Lima. In 1990, against all odds, he won the presidential election against novelist Mario Vargas Llosa by capitalizing on his image as a technocratic outsider and the growing dissatisfaction with traditional political elites.
Once in power, Fujimori inherited a Peru in deep economic crisis, marked by hyperinflation, external debt, and a violent insurgency led by the terrorist groups Shining Path and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA). His government implemented a series of drastic economic reforms, often referred to as "fujishock," which included the privatization of state-owned companies, market liberalization, and harsh measures to stabilize the economy. These reforms succeeded in controlling inflation and restarting economic growth but also caused significant social hardship, with rising unemployment and poverty.
At the same time, Fujimori focused on fighting Shining Path. Under his leadership, the military and intelligence services captured the movement’s leader, Abimael Guzmán, in 1992, marking a turning point in the fight against terrorism. However, this victory came at a high cost, with widespread human rights abuses, including massacres, forced disappearances, and torture, often committed by security forces.
In April 1992, Fujimori staged a "self-coup" (autogolpe), dissolving Congress and ruling by decree, claiming the need to carry out reforms without obstruction. This marked the beginning of his authoritarian drift. Despite this, Fujimori remained popular with much of the Peruvian population due to his economic successes and his fight against terrorism. In 1995, he was re-elected president, but his second term was overshadowed by growing allegations of corruption and human rights violations.
The situation reached a breaking point in 2000 when videos were released showing Vladimiro Montesinos, Fujimori’s intelligence chief, bribing politicians. This scandal triggered a major political crisis. Fujimori, who was visiting Japan at the time, decided to remain there and announced his resignation by fax from Tokyo, ending his ten-year rule.
In 2005, he was arrested in Chile while attempting to return to Peru to run for president again. Extradited to Peru in 2007, Fujimori was tried and convicted of human rights violations, corruption, and abuse of power. In 2009, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in two massacres committed by death squads during his presidency.
Fujimori remains a polarizing figure in Peru. For some, he is a hero who saved the country from economic chaos and terrorism. For others, he is a dictator responsible for serious abuses and systemic corruption. In 2017, he was granted a controversial medical pardon, but this was annulled in 2018. He continues to exert political influence through his children, particularly Keiko Fujimori, who has run for president multiple times.