Statement by President Lagos
“the situation we were in up until the day before Mr. Fujimori’s arrival was a situation that we were hoping to resolve through diplomatic means, and I hope that we can continue to resolve this situation through those same means.”
Fujimori was subject to “a preventative arrest, while the Peruvian government formalizes its extradition request.” He clarified that according to current bilateral agreements, such a request “has to be made by the State, Peru in this case, through their representative in Chile. It must then be sent to the Supreme Court, which is what has happened.”
President Lagos: “We have tried to offer a professional, transparent response at all times”
08 Nov 2005
Source: www.presidencyofchile.cl
The President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, expressed hope that the unexpected arrival of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori in Chile “would not be an obstacle to the relations that we ought to have with Peru. I also hope that this will not lead to greater difficulty in terms of the differences of opinion that we have had regarding boundaries in the Pacific Ocean.”
After meeting with Barbados PM Owen Seymour Arthur, currently in Chile for an official visit, President Lagos pointed out yesterday that “the situation we were in up until the day before Mr. Fujimori’s arrival was a situation that we were hoping to resolve through diplomatic means, and I hope that we can continue to resolve this situation through those same means.”
Therefore, said the President, “regarding this issue, we have tried to offer a professional, transparent response at all times. As soon as former President Fujimori arrived in Chile, it was reported, and at the same time, it was reported that the process against him initiated by Peru would have to follow Chilean norms.”
Meanwhile, he added, Fujimori was subject to “a preventative arrest, while the Peruvian government formalizes its extradition request.” He clarified that according to current bilateral agreements, such a request “has to be made by the State, Peru in this case, through their representative in Chile. It must then be sent to the Supreme Court, which is what has happened.”
President Lagos commented that “Peru and Chile are equally respectful of the independence of our courts, and so now, the courts will be the ones called to take the next steps, depending on the evidence that the Peruvian government presents,” adding that if the issue is addressed using current bilateral rules, “there shouldn’t be any complications to the normal process of our relations.”
When asked whether he would call the former Peruvian President’s arrival “unwanted,” Lagos responded that “I wouldn’t use those words, because I think that Chile has a tradition of following the law. So we have no reason to pass judgment on the purpose of his visit here. I would say that it is surprising, though.”