Former Peruvian President Fujimori undergoes hip surgery after suffering a fracture

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori — convicted as an indirect perpetrator of the murder of 25 Peruvians, but pardoned in December— underwent surgery on Tuesday after suffering a hip fracture last week, his daughter Keiko Fujimori said.

“The hip operation was this morning. Everything went very well. My father sends his regards and all his gratitude for your support, solidarity and prayers,” said the eldest daughter of the former president and leader of the right-wing political party Fuerza Popular, the most powerful in the unicameral Parliament, on her social networks.

Last Wednesday, the politician told the press that the surgery would involve “the placement of a complete prosthesis on the left side.” She added that it was “a long and risky operation.” for diseases that his father has and “because of the therapies that have weakened him a lot.”

In May, the former president said he had been diagnosed with a “new tumor” on his tongue. He added that since the 1990s he has undergone six operations to remove lesions on the surface of his tongue known as leukoplakia, which if left untreated could turn into cancer.

In mid-June, Alberto Fujimori joined the party led by his daughter and posted a video on his social networks where they are seen together, while he fills out a membership form. Keiko Fujimori, 49, has run for president three times, without success, and has faced a trial for alleged money laundering in which the prosecution has requested 30 years in prison for her.

The 85-year-old former president governed between 1990-2000 and has begun to rebuild his image on social media after leaving prison in December 2023, when the government of President Dina Boluarte released him to serve a controversial term. 2017 presidential pardonendorsed by the Constitutional Court.

But the trials continue to haunt him even while he is free: since January, the former president has been banned from leaving Peru and is accused by the prosecution of being the mastermind behind the murder of six peasants executed in 1992 by a detachment of soldiers who allegedly acted with the knowledge of the then president.

Alberto Fujimori was convicted in 2009 for the murder of 25 Peruvians during his administration, but he also has three other convictions for corruption and owes around 15 million dollars to the Treasury, according to the Attorney General’s Office specializing in corruption crimes.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and the newsletter. Activate notifications and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.