Son of former Lima leader expelled from sister’s ruling party

LiMa: Kenji Fujimori, the youngest son of recently pardoned expresident Alberto Fujimori, said he was thrown out of his opposition party for clashing with its leader, his sister Keiko.

“It was unanimously decided that congressman Kenji Fujimori would be expelled from Fuerza Popular (Popular Force),” he said on Twitter on Tuesday.

The populistconservative FP began proceedings in December against Kenji for having criticised his sister’s position on President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

Alberto refused to support the president’s impeachment, which was debated on Dec 21. The FP has the largest group in the legislature.

But votes by Kenji and eight other lawmakers stopped Kuczynski, whom the FP accuses of lying about matters related to the Brazilian multinational Odebrecht, from being removed from office.

Kuczynski had pledged not to pardon Alberto. But he did so just days after Kenji’s vote in his favour, sparking speculation the pardon was a political quid pro quo.

Alberto, 79, was until recently serving a 25year sentence for human rights abuses. He was hospitalised late last year for various ailments. He left hospital on Jan 16.

Kuczynski, who defeated Keiko for the presidency in 2016, said he had pardoned the expresident for humanitarian reasons.

The pardon has drawn heavy criticism from victims of his 19902000 rule and human rights advocates.

But he also earned respect from many Peruvians for his ruthless campaign to defeat leftist guerrillas. — AFP