A furtively recorded video showed the president convicted of crimes against humanity and corruption as he walked into the Colombian Spa in the Magdalena neighborhood yesterday, apparently in good condition and without handcuffs, surrounded by prison guards.
Thousands of Internet users reacted with alarm and the newspaper La República commented that, despite family and supporter requests that Fujimori, 85, leave prison for being in very poor health, contrasts with the video, he appears “in good physical condition”.
What happened led to criticism from the lawyer Carlos Rivera, who was the defender of the civil party in the trial, in which, in 2009, Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes that qualify as crimes against humanity, as the mediate author of two massacres of unarmed civilians carried out by an illegal military squad.
Rivera described as a mockery to the relatives of the victims of the former president that he has privileges such as going out to a spa despite being convicted of human rights violations.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all, because the penitentiary system, which depends on the Ministry of Justice, has managed Fujimori’s jail in a special way, characterized by benefits that have always been granted to him,” he said.
Such a situation “has been going on forever, and the only conclusion we can draw is that Fujimori is a special prisoner, who does not receive common treatment,” he added.
Given the widespread comments, the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE) issued a statement stating that the video corresponds to “a medical procedure scheduled for care in the specialty of dentistry, in a dental center where he has been treated for several years.”
The statement does not refer to the fact that images show Fujimori entering a relaxation center, located next to a private dental clinic.
Usually, the INPE reports the frequent medical outings of the ex-governor as soon as they occur and this time it did so after the reactions of Internet users.
Opposition political and social organizations maintain that President Dina Boluarte maintains an alliance with Fujimori’s Fuerza Popular party.
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