Peru’s divisive former president Alberto Fujimori dead at 86

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STORY: Peru’s controversial former President Alberto Fujimori died Wednesday at the age of 86.

Fujimori steered economic growth during the 1990s but was later jailed for human rights abuses.

His doctor, Jose Carlos Gutierrez, said the former president died of tongue cancer that was diagnosed earlier this year.

Fujimori was filmed last year wearing a breathing tube and mask, leaving prison, upon being pardoned after serving around 16 years behind bars.

The son of Japanese immigrants, he was elected to office in 1990.

His supporters say he saved Peru from terrorism and economic collapse.

He tamed hyperinflation, privatized dozens of state-run companies, slashed trade tariffs, and set foundations for Peru to become, for a while, one of Latin America’s most stable economies.

Meanwhile, his government was fighting the Maoist Shining Path militants.

Under his watch the feared leader of the group, Abimael Guzman, was captured.

Critics say Fujimori abused democracy and committed atrocities during his rule.

He was accused of using death squads in his fight against militants.

Fujimori also used military tanks to shut down Congress in 1992 and redrafted the constitution to his liking to push free-market reforms as well as tough anti-terrorism laws.

A slew of corruption scandals during Fujimori’s 10-year administration also turned public opinion against him.

They included one involving his top adviser Vladimiro Montesinos handing out cash bribes to politicians.

After videos emerged of the scandal, Fujimori fled to Japan in 2000 and resigned by fax from Tokyo.

After five years in exile, he decided to head back to Peru, hoping to make a comeback.

But he was detained during a layover in Chile and extradited to Peru.

Later, in 2009, he was convicted of ordering the massacre of 25 people during his administration’s fight against Maoist rebels

and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

However he was released last year on a humanitarian pardon by Peru's constitutional court, despite criticism from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to block the pardon.

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Peru’s divisive former president Alberto Fujimori dead at 86

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