Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori is allegedly eyeing another presidential run in 2026 after being released from prison, Reuters reported Monday.
The 85-year-old politician was last president of Peru from 1990 to 2000 and was released from jail in December following a presidential pardon, the BBC reported.
“My father and I have talked and decided together that he will be the presidential candidate,” Keiko Fujimori, the ex-president’s daughter and a political figure in her own right, announced in Spanish on Twitter.
Mi padre y yo hemos conversado y decidido juntos que él será el candidato presidencial. pic.twitter.com/YXVj3FWCLM
— Keiko Fujimori (@KeikoFujimori) July 14, 2024
The junior Fujimori attempted to run for the presidency three times unsuccessfully, Reuters reported. The elder Fujimori left a divided legacy during his time in power. Fujimori supporters herald him as the man who saved the country from the terror of violent civil strife and deep economic problems, the BBC reported. His detractors accuse the octogenarian of being a dictator whose crackdowns against insurgents killed some 69,000 people, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Incarcerate The Criminals’: El Salvador’s Leader Explains How US Can Follow His Lead And Squash Crime)
Fujimori was convicted in 2009 of bribery and abuse of power, the BBC reported. The politician still owes $15 million in civil damages, Reuters reported. The man’s legal woes could prevent him from running, various legal experts told Reuters. “A presidential pardon has exonerated him from prison, but his legal status is of someone who hasn’t finished his sentence,” Anibal Quiroga said. Quiroga cited Article 33 of Peru’s constitution which removes political rights to convicted felons as evidence for his claim, according to the outlet.
Gonzalo Banda, a political analyst, told the outlet that Fujimori is trying to unite conservative forces within Peru under his party through tackling crime and violence concerns.
