Alberto Fujimori, former Peruvian president convicted of crimes against humanity, dies at 86
Peru's Alberto Fujimori, a deeply divisive strongman who revamped Peru's economy, muzzled political opponents, and oversaw deadly atrocities, died on Wednesday after years of struggling with multiple health issues.
Fujimori, who died at the age of 86, was a one-time university dean who rose to wage a bloody campaign against insurgents as president in the 1990s -- but ended up jailed for atrocities.
He was loved by many for crushing the notorious left-wing Shining Path rebels but hated by others for the ruthless, authoritarian way he governed.
Fujimori's decade as president from 1990 was marked by a dramatic series of sieges, massacres and escapades.
He ultimately ended up in jail as a frail, gray figure crippled by back pain, breathing problems and high blood pressure, for which he required frequent hospital stays.
Last year, he was released from prison on humanitarian grounds.
In July, his daughter Keiko announced that he would run for president again in 2026.
But his health deteriorated sharply after he completed treatment for tongue cancer in August, sources close to his family told AFP.
A descendant of Japanese immigrants, Fujimori was a marginal figure among political parties but cultivated the support of the armed forces.
Under him and his hardline security chief Vladimiro Montesinos, state forces virtually wiped out the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru rebels.
"Act first, tell people about it later," he was quoted as saying.
Faxing his resignation
Read more on FRANCE 24 English
Read also:
Peru's former president Fujimori freed from prison after pardon reinstated
Fight for justice: Peruvian women sterilised simply for being ‘poor’
Fujimori alleges fraud in Peru's election as rival holds razor-thin lead
