{"id":440764,"date":"2010-03-17T22:03:42","date_gmt":"2010-03-18T02:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalvoicesonline.org\/?p=129079"},"modified":"2010-03-17T22:03:42","modified_gmt":"2010-03-18T02:03:42","slug":"peru-the-pardon-of-jose-enrique-crousillat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/440764","title":{"rendered":"Peru: The Pardon of Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the midst of some confusing turn of events, the Peruvian government reversed its decision to grant a pardon to former television businessman Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat. This led to Crousillat to go into hiding, and some speculate that he may have fled the country. Crousillat, along with his son, were shareholders and on the board of directors of Am\u00e9rica TV<\/a> television station in the 1990s. <\/p>\n

However, during the scandal involving the videos that showed former head of Peru's intelligence service Vladmiro Montesinos giving bribes<\/a> for favorable media coverage, Crousillat and his station were implicated for receiving payment for favorable coverage for the campaign of former President Alberto Fujimori. He fled the country, but was later captured and extradited back to Peru, where he was tried and sentenced to prison.<\/p>\n

\"Peruvian<\/a><\/p>\n

Peruvian government palace by martintoy and used under a Creative Commons license.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

He was scheduled to have completed his sentence in 2014, but in November 2009, there were discussions that he would be pardoned for humanitarian reasons because he had complained of heart problems. On December 11, Crousillat was pardoned by President Alan Garc\u00eda<\/a> and was released the same day. This led to a wave of reactions, some in favor and others against the decision. <\/p>\n

Following his release, Crousillat stated his intention to retake control of his former television station. However, what turned public opinion against him were the photographs that showed him first at an exclusive resort, and later at a caf\u00e9 in the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores. This showed that Crousillat was not on the verge of death as had been alleged.<\/p>\n

Due to the media pressure and citizen outrage, President Garc\u00eda called for a review of the pardon. However, it was the role of Justice Minister Aurelio Pastor, who was fired by Garc\u00eda, for allegedly providing unreliable evidence that led to Crousillat's pardon, which has now been revoked and which led to his going into hiding. He was the first political victim in this case was the Justice Minister Pastor, who before being fired or “resigned” as the government states, said that an economic group wanted to “crucify” him [es]<\/a>. After his resignation, he left a message for his Facebook contacts<\/a>. <\/p>\n

These events bring back memories for some citizens, such as the blogger from Plan H [es]<\/em>, who comments sarcastically<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Esta historia me parece haberla escuchado antes. Un presidente que sale ante c\u00e1maras, proclama ante el pa\u00eds que el otro hombre es un peligro nacional y que ha da\u00f1ado la imagen del pa\u00eds, adem\u00e1s de ser un corrupto. El presidente lo declara enemigo numero 1 y posteriormente se lanza en su captura,.. esto se repite en las mismas circunstancias que hace 9 a\u00f1os, cuando Fujimori, aterrado por los reveladores vladivideos, sali\u00f3 a la \u201ccaza\u201d de Montesinos en una pat\u00e9tico demostraci\u00f3n de la poca dignidad que le quedaba a ese gobierno. Ahora, reemplaza la palabra Fujimori por Alan y Montesinos por Crousillat y tenemos lo mismo.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I think I have heard this story before. A president goes in front of cameras and declares in front of the nation that the other person is a national danger and that he has damaged the country's image, in addition to being corrupt. The president declares him enemy number 1 and later goes after him to capture him,… this is repeated with the same circumstances 9 years ago, when Fujimori, shaken by the revelations from the vladivideos (videos showing Montesinos giving bribes), went on the hunt for Montesinos in a pathetic demonstration with little dignity that the government remained. Now, replace the name Fujimori with Alan (Garc\u00eda) and Montesinos with Crousillat and we have the same story.<\/div>\n

However, not all the bloggers take the news with the same humor, and in the month of December 2009, Silvio Rend\u00f3n of the blog Gran Combo Club [es]<\/em> provides his opinion on the suspected and dangerous precedent that the pardon would mean<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

El monto de reparacion civil que debe al estado quedo \u201csin efecto\u201d. Despu\u00e9s el estado se queja de que no hay dinero para pagar las reparaciones de derechos humanos. \u2026 A este paso s\u00f3lo falta indultar a Fujimori. La puntada es con hilo: Garc\u00eda prepara indulto a ex dictador Fujimori.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

The amount of civil reparation that he owes the state now remains “void.” After the state complained that there is no money to pay human rights reparations … At this rate, all that is left is to pardon Fujimori. The stitching is with thread: Garc\u00eda prepares to pardon former dictator Fujimori.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Victor Liza Jaramillo of the blog Metiendo la Pata [es]<\/em> expresses similar opinions<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Todo esto transcurri\u00f3 en una semana que acaso, en opini\u00f3n del que suscribe, es la m\u00e1s vergonzosa que ha vivido este r\u00e9gimen. Incluso m\u00e1s que cuando ocurrieron hechos como los \u201cpetroaudios\u201d y el \u201cbaguazo\u201d. Porque estas idas y venidas reflejan algo m\u00e1s que sentirse \u201cburlado\u201d, adem\u00e1s de una tremenda descoordinaci\u00f3n. Reflejan, sin duda alguna, que el gobierno buscaba algo m\u00e1s, y que esta rectificaci\u00f3n tard\u00eda es una verg\u00fcenza para el pa\u00eds. Es un p\u00e9simo precedente, tanto en materia jur\u00eddica como la pol\u00edtica.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

All this happened in a week where in a week perhaps, in my opinion, is the most embarrassing that this government has experienced. It is even more embarrassing than the “petroaudio” and “baguazo” scandals. All of these comings and goings reflect something more than feeling “tricked,” as well as a tremendous dis-coordination. It reflects, without a doubt, that the government loked for something more, and that this late correction is an embarrassment for the country. It is a terrible precedent, both legal and political.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Juan Sheput, politician and blogger at Mate Pastor [es]<\/em> points the blame directly at President Garci\u00e1 for this debacle<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

El doctor Alan Garc\u00eda \u00bfhabr\u00eda procedido a revocar el indulto sin la presi\u00f3n e indignaci\u00f3n ciudadana? No, por supuesto que no. A pesar de que sus compa\u00f1eros de partido afirmen que ha sido \u201csorprendido\u201d yo pienso que no es as\u00ed. Si se indult\u00f3 a Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat fue porque hab\u00eda una decisi\u00f3n pol\u00edtica en ese sentido, y el hasta ahora ministro Aurelio Pastor fue un eficiente operador\u2026. los esfuerzos de dos gobiernos anteriores, el de Valent\u00edn Paniagua y de Alejandro Toledo, en materia de lucha contra la corrupci\u00f3n, han involucionado. Hoy se hace lo posible por deteriorar la institucionalidad y ser permisivo con la corrupci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Would President Alan Garc\u00eda have revoked the pardon without all of the pressure and public outrage? No, of course not. Even though his fellow party members claim that they were “surprised” I don't think that was the case. If Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat was pardoned it was because it was a political decision in this regard, and until now Minister Aurelio Pastor was an efficient operator …the efforts of the two previous governments, that of (former Presidents) Valent\u00edn Paniagua and Alejandro Toledo, in the fight against corruption, have digressed. Today it is possible to damage the institutions and be tolerant of corruption. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The well-known and controversial ex-head of the National Directorate Against Terrorism (DINCOTE for its initials in Spanish), Colonel Benedicto Jimenez writes in his blog El Pacificador [es]<\/em> about his perspective of the events, and its relationship with large media companies<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Cuando el Grupo Plural (El Comercio y La Rep\u00fablica) sinti\u00f3 que sus intereses eran amenazados, soltaron los \u201cperros de presa\u201d o \u201cseudos\u201d investigadores period\u00edsticos para husmear, perseguir, ubicar, fotografiar, filmar o seguirle los pasos a Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat , personaje que cometi\u00f3 el error de sentirse invencible, intocable, soberbio, tal vez, confiaba en que nunca iba a ser tocado porque el indulto es irrevocable o se sent\u00eda seguro y confiado porque cuenta con grabaciones sobre la negociaci\u00f3n del indulto \u2026 porque existe la sospecha que el indulto no cay\u00f3 por gracia del Esp\u00edritu Santo que se apiad\u00f3 de un septuagenario pr\u00f3ximo a morir y que deb\u00eda pasar sus \u00faltimos d\u00edas en compa\u00f1\u00eda de sus seres queridos. Desde ese momento, dos grupos econ\u00f3micos se han declarado la guerra y los ciudadanos miran imp\u00e1vidos como se destrozan o atacan los due\u00f1os del pa\u00eds para hacerse due\u00f1o de Am\u00e9rica TV. Por un lado est\u00e1 el Grupo Plural, por otro lado, el grupo econ\u00f3mico que representa Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

When the Plural Group (El Comercio and La Republica) felt that their interests were threatened, they released the “attack dogs” or “pseudo” journalistic investigators to snoop, pursue, locate, photograph, video, or follow the steps of Jose Enrique Crousillat, a person who made the mistake of feeling invincible, untouchable, arrogant, and perhaps, was confident that he would never be touched because the pardon is irrevocable or felt secure and confident because it had recordings of the negotiation of the pardon … because it is suspected that the pardon did not fall by the grace of the Holy Spirit which took pity on a septuagenarian near death and that he should spend his last days with loved ones. Since then, two economic groups have declared war and the citizens are watching impassively as they destroy or attack the owners of the country to become master of Am\u00e9rica TV. On one side is the Plural Group, on the other side, the economic group that represents Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The case is still under development with the results being awaited of the lawsuit filed by Crousillat, even thought it was declared inadmissible [es]<\/a> in an injunction filed in the northern city of Motupe, which was based on a irregular housing certificate<\/a>. Crousillat's lawyer has been denounced for concealment of his client [es]<\/a>. That while there is a warning that Crousillat could request via a habeas corpus to request the restitution of his pardon. There is also a Facebook group called “Wanted: Crousillat [es]<\/a>” which already has more than 1,300 members.<\/p>\n

Translated by Eduardo \u00c1vila<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the midst of some confusing turn of events, the Peruvian government reversed its decision to grant a pardon to former television businessman Jos\u00e9 Enrique Crousillat. This led to Crousillat to go into hiding, and some speculate that he may have fled the country. Crousillat, along with his son, were shareholders and on the board […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4681,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-440764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4681"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440764"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440764\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}