Fujimori being treated for gastric problems

LIMA: Pardoned former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori will remain hospitalized to be treated for gastric problems, his doctor said Friday.

Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for murder and other rights abuses, was originally admitted to a clinic for low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.

He was pardoned by President Pablo Kuczynski just days after Fujimori's son helped him escape impeachment.

Alejandro Aguinaga, Fujimori's doctor, said a medical test on Fujimori uncovered “three important changes linked to stomach problems.”

Treatment has begun and Fujimori is expected to overcome the issue in the coming days, Aguinaga said.

The decision to pardon Fujimori, who was in office from 1990-2000, has heightened political tensions in Peru.

Relatives of victims of Fujimori's brutal rule have condemned the pardon, but he also earned respect from many Peruvians for his ruthless and unflinching campaign to defeat leftist guerrillas, and supporters have hailed the decision to free him.

That decision was taken by Kuczynski just days after Fujimori's son Kenji abstained from voting on his impeachment, drawing other lawmakers with him and denying the opposition the necessary votes to remove the president. — AFP