Alberto Fujimori
* Re “Commandos Free Peru Captives,” April 23:
“Gentlemen, in Peru we are not going to accept terrorism,” President Alberto Fujimori shouts. What sickening hypocrisy. He should have said that only government-sponsored terrorism is acceptable. In Peru, if you speak out against the government, you risk being killed by its death squads or being arrested and tried by a secret tribunal with no chance to confront your accusers. Which is what happened to the imprisoned Tupac Amaru rebels and why their comrades took possession of the Japanese ambassador’s compound.
Fujimori is no anti-terrorist warrior. He is the leader of a terrorist government.
JANNA WHITE
Van Nuys
* Your articles on Fujimori’s glorious triumph against terrorism made me so proud I wanted to emigrate to Peru. Fujimori and his troops exemplify those things sadly lacking here: love of country, a willingness to stand up for what’s right and the resolve to do what needs to be done in the best interest of the country. For all our might, we could not have accomplished this because our leaders don’t have the guts. I wish Fujimori could be our president.
BRUCE E. FRANCONE
Redlands
* What do you call the demise of 14 Red terrorists? Answer: a fine beginning. Three cheers for Fujimori.
ROBERT M. ACHIN
Santa Ana
* That any nation or person supposedly committed to democracy could celebrate the April 22 rescue and massacre in Peru appalls me. Of course the Tupac Amaru made a grave and cruel error in taking hostages to try to coerce the Peruvian government to consider their demands. But I find shocking your suggestion (editorial, April 23) that anyone might “rejoice” in the hostages’ freedom when that freedom came from the slaughter of 14 people--some of them as young as 15. It is one thing to refuse to negotiate with terrorists; it is quite another to plan and execute their massacre with no consideration whatsoever to due process.
Thank God the hostages (minus one) are now safely back with their families. God help us that we don’t decry the unconsidered carnage that brought them back.
ANNE LEAR
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