Alberto Fujimori, the controversial former president of Peru, known for stabilizing the country’s economy before being imprisoned for human rights violations, has passed away at 86, according to his family.
His daughter, Keiko Fujimori, announced his death following a long struggle with cancer. In a post on X, she wrote, "We ask those who loved him to join us in praying for the eternal rest of his soul. Thank you for so much, Dad!"
Fujimori, a former agricultural engineer and professor, rose to prominence unexpectedly in the 1990 presidential election, finishing second behind Mario Vargas Llosa before winning the runoff. During his ten-year presidency, Fujimori earned praise for curbing hyperinflation, boosting economic growth, and defeating the Shining Path rebel group.
However, Fujimori also faced significant criticism for his authoritarian methods, including dissolving Congress and the courts. He fled Peru in 2000 after a corruption scandal involving his intelligence chief surfaced, and he resigned from Japan via fax.
In 2005, he was extradited from Chile to face charges in Peru, and in 2009, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for human rights abuses, including the massacre of 25 people by death squads. Fujimori was briefly released in 2021 on humanitarian grounds.
In July, Keiko Fujimori announced that her father had considered running for a fourth presidential term in 2026.
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