Pardoned ex-Peru president apologizes

LIMA, Peru — Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori apologized to the nation Tuesday for wrongs committed under his government in the 1990s, issuing a vaguely worded statement two days after he received a presidential pardon that freed him from prison.

The 79-year-old Fujimori spoke in a videotaped message from a hospital in Lima. He received the pardon after serving less than half of a 25-year sentence for human-rights abuses.

“I am aware that the results during my government were well received on one side, but I recognize that I have let down other compatriots,” the former president said. “To them, I ask for forgiveness with all my heart.”

Fujimori had not previously apologized, asserting even during his sentencing hearing that he was innocent. He led the country from 1990-2000, and was found guilty for the killings of 25 people in a campaign against the leftist Shining Path terrorist group.

Fujimori, who has been diagnosed with arrhythmia and tongue cancer, also thanked President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski for pardoning him, a decision that has prompted protests across the country.

The president said Fujimori was let go for humanitarian reasons, but some critics claimed it was part of a deal struck to protect Kuczynski from impeachment on corruption charges.