11 Oct 2018 | 10:04 PM UTC
Peru: Opposition leader Fujimori arrested in Lima October 10
Opposition leader Keiko Fujimori arrested on corruption charges on October 10; related protests possible in Lima and other Peruvian cities in the coming days and weeks
Event
On Wednesday, October 10, Peruvian opposition leader Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, was arrested in Lima amid an investigation into her alleged role in a money laundering scheme. Keiko Fujimori is accused of accepting illicit contributions to her party from Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht. Fujimori's lawyer has announced that she will be detained for ten days, along with 19 others, including former ministers Jaime Yoshiyama and Augusto Bedoya.
Dozens of Fujimori's supporters have rallied outside the prosecutors' office after her Wednesday arrest in a show of support. Fujimori's arrest could escalate political tensions between her party, Popular Force, and President Martin Vizcarra's supporters in the near-term. Large related protests have not been reported as of Thursday, October 11, but rallies and demonstrations in Lima and other urban centers across the country cannot be ruled out in the coming days and weeks. A heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are to be expected near related demonstrations.
Context
Keiko Fujimori has led Alberto Fujimori's conservative movement since he fled the country to Japan in 2000 before resigning from the presidency. The arrest came just days after Peru's Supreme Court ordered her father to return to prison over alleged human rights abuses, overruling the presidential pardon granted to him in December 2017. Keiko and her allies were detained for allegedly receiving contributions worth USD 1.2 million for her 2011 presidential campaign. Prosecutors have been investigating allegations that three former presidents took bribes in the form of campaign donations from Odebrecht in exchange for pledges to have the Brazilian company win local tenders for construction projects. Additionally, earlier this year, former Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned in an Odebrecht-linked scandal.
Advice
Individuals in Lima are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all demonstrations and protests as a precaution, remain vigilant for signs of civil unrest, and adhere to instructions by local authorities.
