Brazil & Southern Cone - May 2006 (ISSN 1741-4431)

Chilean President Michele Bachelet has been quick to respond to a diplomatic request from Peru that Chile take action to stop the recently bailed former Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori, from voicing his political opinions.

Bachelet responded to the note by asking the supreme court to take whatever measures were necessary to avoid a situation where relations with Peru and Chile would be affected. "There is one thing very clear" said Bachelet, "the President of Chile, as a fundamental task, has to guarantee the interests of the country and it is clear that the actions that we have seen in the last few days from Mr Fujimori are provoking undesirable situations in our relationship with Peru."  

In response, the supreme court used the "Ley de extranjerí­a" as a means to stop Fujimori from expressing his views on the upcoming elections in Peru. The law prohibits foreigners in Chile from making comments that could be detrimental to Chile's external relations. The rapid response from the Bachelet administration has been welcomed by the government of Peru's President Alejandro Toledo. The justice minister, Alejandro Tudela, praised the "celerity" with which the Chilean government reacted to Lima's request.  

However, there have been mixed responses in Chile. After a meeting with the interior minister, opposition Senator Alberto Espina criticised the president's actions claiming that "in spite of the atrocities he has committed" Fujimori is a citizen who lives in a democratic country and has the right to give his opinion within the law. Another opposition senator, Hernán Larraí­n, defended the government's decision to manage bilateral relations with Peru but felt that the president should not have played such a prominent role in events. "You have to be careful," he said, "because she appears to be limiting freedom of expression in Chile, a country that has always favoured the right of the refugee."  

In spite of a number of complaints, the move to silence Fujimori has been widely supported. In addition, the quick response to Peru's request can only help to improve what have, over the last few years, become difficult relations due to disputes over maritime borders. Bachelet is keen to start her presidency on good terms with all her neighbours and the extremely thorny issue of Fujimori's extradition might conceivably help to improve relations between the two countries.