PRESS RELEASE
LaRouche: Fujimori Acted
As a Patriotic President
Aug. 24, 2002 (EIRNS)—At the "Mexico-Brazil-Argentina: Hour of Integration" conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, held on Aug. 24-25, Lyndon LaRouche was asked by a Peruvian trade unionist to comment on Peru's former President Fujimori and his removal him from office in 2000. The American Presidential candidate called the coup against Fujimori a sign of the "quasi-colonial" status of the South American republics since the Malvinas War of 1982."The point is, one has to take a certain view of the social process, the political process, in judging a President of any country, such as Peru," said LaRouche. "Now, Fujimori capitulated, and adopted in many respects, adopted a pro-liberal view. That does not mean, that was his opinion. That does not mean, that was his instinct. Remember that Peru has lived, as all nations of the Americas, have lived under a quasi-imperial boot. They have been, in a sense, quasi-colonies, of the United States since 1982. No country of the Americas has been really independent. It has been dominated by the IMF and the Anglo-Americans, by the English-speaking oligarchical factions, financial oligarchical factions of the world. And, Soros is among the worst. Kuczynski, who represents certain Boston and other interests, is among the worst. And, of course, this Boston crowd, like United Fruit and other things—Grace, and whatnot—have a history in Peru, and the history continues. And when you look at the situation, from that standpoint, you understand it.
"But, Fujimori acted as a patriotic President. That does not mean he was a perfect leader, in respect to forming his policy. Look, I'm a political figure of the United States—a Presidential candidate. I'm probably the best-qualified Presidential candidate the United States has seen in the past 30-odd years, or longer: So, I have some ideas about Presidencies, and have some idea about how an American Presidential candidate should treat and regard Presidents of other republics in the Americas.
"Now, Fujimori, I consider in a friendly way. Why? Because he's the President of Peru. And he was couped by the United States, and much of the charges against him were manufactured by the United States. And there are problems in Peru, which, to a large degree, were introduced to Peru, by the United States! So, who am I to criticize Peru, or the people in Peru, as if that were not the case. They were living under a virtual dictatorship of the overreach of an English-speaking alliance, power, and they had no absolute freedom of action. And the President of Peru, and the President of every republic of the Americas, has to calculate, what he has to concede to, what he can get by with, under the pressure of the United States, and its English-speaking allies.
"So, I would not make simplistic views about criticizing of things that, I agree, are problems in Peru. I have to say what created the problem? What is the infectious agent, which caused the problem? How must we deal with it. How must we give Peru the opportunity to free itself? I mean, a coup was made, by the Clinton Administration, overthrowing Fujimori! It was made, because of a speech that Fujimori made in Brazil, which implicitly was consistent with the policy perspectives of the Mercosur; which is in the vital interests of that part of South America, to have such policies.
"So, that Fujimori was toppled, not because he did something bad: He was toppled, because he did something good!
"So, when a man is thrown out; exiled from his own country; lied about internationally, and sitting in refuge in Japan, after being couped illicitly, by an orchestrated coup d'etat—I don't attack him. I don't agree with many of his policies. Me and my associates objected to these liberal policies many times. But, I've always understood, that I do not treat lightly, the problems and importance of a Presidency of a republic—such as Mexico, for example. I don't have to agree with Fox, to defend the Presidency of Mexico. I do! I must defend the Presidency of Mexico! It's a republic: I must defend it. It's a partner-country of mine: I must defend it."
