The Facts

• Peru's former president Alberto Fujimori died Wednesday, September 11, at 86. He led the 1990s economic boom as president, defeating the Shining Path, a Maoist guerilla that had destabilized the country, before corruption forced him out of government and led to his conviction for human rights violations.

• In 2009, a court sentenced Fujimore to 25 years in prison for his authorization of a death squad that killed civilians. Mr. Fujimori spent 15 years in prison before his release in December 2023, due to his declining health. In May, Mr. Fujimori revealed the diagnosis of a new malignant tumor.Despite heavy criticism for his autocratic rule in 2000, voters re-elected Fujimori to a third term. After temporarily shutting down Congress and the courts, Fujimori fled the country to avoid a corruption investigation.

• He took refuge in Japan and sent his resignation via fax, which made him infamous both in his home country and internationally. He stayed in Japan until 2005, when he traveled to Chile to prepare for a presidential campaign in Peru. He was, however, detained in Chile and returned to Peru by the authorities.