Peru's Spy Chief Flees; Opposition Angry
L I M A, Peru, Sept. 25, 2000 -- Peru’s opposition is blasting President Alberto Fujimori for allowing his deposed spy chief to flee the country and dodge a bribery scandal.
However, analysts said the removal of the secretive power broker would help repair the country’s tattered democracy.
The mysterious flight of Vladimiro Montesinos raised new tensions as Fujimori and his foes seek an amicable end to his 10-year hold on power. Negotiations between the government and theopposition were to begin today in Lima.
Montesinos, at the center of an alleged corruption scandal that is cutting short Fujimori’s presidency, arrived Sunday in Panama, where the government appeared almost certain to bow tointernational pressure and grant him political asylum.
A Minor Disruption?
By fleeing, Montesinos avoided accusations stemming from a leaked videotape that apparently showed him bribing an opposition congressman to join the president’s legislative alliance. The video ignited the crisis that led Fujimori to announce surprise earlyelections in which he would not run.
But Montesinos’ flight did not appear to threaten negotiations between Fujimori’s government and the opposition, who were scheduled to resume today in Lima, with mediation by the Organization of American States.
Analysts said both sides stood to benefit from the removal of Montesinos, who many feared would rally his powerful military allies to his side against Fujimori.
“Apparently the danger of a military coup has been defused and it also shows that Fujimori is attempting to control the transition,” said Peru expert Julio Carrion at the University ofDelaware.
Nonetheless, Fujimori has been weakened by the scandal leading to Montesinos’ ouster, Carrion said. “Now that the picture is a little clearer, the opposition is going to demand real progress for a free and fair electoral process.”
Smear Attacks and Dirty Tricks
Montesinos was accused of masterminding a campaign of smearattacks and dirty tricks to assure Fujimori’s victory this year toan unprecedented third five-year term in an internationallycriticized election marred by fraud allegations.
But Fujimori’s foes contend Montesinos is guilty of greatercrimes than corruption and dirty tricks. They charge he transformedthe once-minor National Intelligence Service, known by its Spanishinitials SIN, into Peru’s most vilified institution used to oppressthe regime’s opponents.
“Since 1990, the period in which Montesinos was the de factohead of the SIN, agents from that institution have been accused oftorture, assassinations, carving up ex-agents, phone taps andkidnappings,” said opposition Congresswoman Mercedes Cabanillas.
The international community appeared to agree that democraticreform in Peru would be better served with Montesinos out of thepicture.
Panama had originally refused an asylum request for Montesinos.But the office of President Mireya Moscoso said Latin Americanleaders and the 34-member OAS had asked her to rethink the matter.
“They asked us to reconsider, considering the significance thatMr. Montesinos’ leaving Peru would have for facilitating thedemocratic process and peace in that South American country,” heroffice said.
The Clinton administration also endorsed the move, said DouglasBarnes, a U.S. Embassy spokesman in Peru.
A Conflagration in Lima
Montesinos’ whereabouts had been shrouded in secrecy since avideotape was aired Sept. 14, sparking opposition demands that hebe arrested and prosecuted.
Fujimori announced two days after the scandal broke that hewould call new elections and not stand as a candidate. He alsopromised to disband Montesinos’ spy agency and called for acriminal probe of the alleged bribery.
Opposition forces walked out of Congress last week over thescandal caused by Montesinos, and had vowed to boycott theOAS-mediated negotiations if Fujimori did not formally fire theintelligence adviser. The government promised to follow through onthe demand by today. Fujimori sent Congress legislation Friday todisband the intelligence service.
Opposition leaders urged Montesinos not be granted asylum byPanama, emphasizing that he was fleeing criminal investigation, notpolitical persecution.
Congressman Fernando Olivera, the opposition lawmaker whoobtained the videotape, said he believed Montesinos’ flight toPanama resulted from a “shameful intervention” by Fujimori. Hesaid it had become clear to Fujimori that top military commanderswould sooner replace Fujimori than let Montesinos be prosecuted.
“There had been an attitude of outright rebellion,” Oliverasaid.
Martha Chavez, a pro-Fujimori congresswoman, said there wasnothing to stop Montesinos as there was no “judicial order thatprohibits his departure.”
Fujimori made no mention of Montesinos Sunday during an annualaddress to top military commanders — many of whom were handpickedby Montesinos.
Instead, he praised the military leaders “who at this complexjuncture have shown one more proof of their professionalism andundisputed loyalty in the interest of Peru.”