Fujimori won't spoil Peru-Japan relations

Alberto Fujimori is avoiding persecution in Peru and remains in Japan

TOKYO, Japan -- Peru won't allow friendly relations with Japan to be strained due to differences in views over the status of deposed leader Alberto Fujimori, the country's envoy to Japan said on Wednesday.

"Fujimori is one person, one accident in a way... I can't imagine two countries fighting each other over one person -- one person, who in my opinion, does not deserve (that role)," ambassador Luis Macchiavello said.

Macchiavello stressed that the two nations' ties ran deep, citing a history of 100 years of Japanese immigration to Peru. The envoy himself is married to a Japanese and has held five diplomatic positions in the country since the 1960's.

He also said the Peruvian government would do what is best for the country's greater interest, believing that Japan would do the same.

Peru is home to about 100,000 residents of Japanese descent, while about 50,000 Peruvians work in Japan.

But worries over a possible diplomatic impasse arose when the disgraced Fujimori fled to Japan in November amid a growing government corruption storm triggered by his fugitive ex-spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos.

Fujimori resigned as president shortly after, but Peru's congress rejected the resignation. It sacked him instead on grounds that he was morally unfit.

The deposed leader has since refused to testify before a parliamentary committee investigating on the corruption scandal, and remains in his native homeland as a Japanese national.

More worries over bilateral relations emerged when Peru's congress last month approved criminal charges against Fujimori for abandoning office and dereliction of duty by fleeing to Japan.

Several Peruvian lawmakers have since publicly said that Tokyo was obligated to send him back to face possible charges. But the government has made no official request for his extradition so far.

Bright investment hopes

While diplomatic relations remain amicable, Macchiavello said Japanese investment in Peru is not as big as in the past. But he noted that there were signs that investment interest had returned in the past month.

A Japanese delegation was supposed to visit Peru for possible investment projects but delayed the trip after Fujimori's sudden resignation, he said.

"In my personal opinion, (the Japanese delegation) are waiting for (things to settle down after) the election," Macchiavello said.

Peru is slated to elect a new president on April 8. The two strongest candidates are Alejandro Toledo, a former World Bank economist, and Lourdes Flores, viewed by analysts as a right-wing free marketeer.

But no matter who wins the presidency, the ambassador said he does not expect Japan's stance on investment in Peru to change as both candidates have similar economic views.

"Both (Toledo and Flores) are economically similar in views -- they would (steer) the economy more or less in the same ways as in the old days, so from that point of view, there won't be much surprise," he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Peru's Congress indicts Fujimori on charges of abandoning his office
February 23, 2001
Japan confirms nationality for Fujimori, says his stay poses no problems
December 11, 2000

Deconstructing Democracy: Peru Under Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori of Peru
Governments on the WWW: Peru

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