MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru: Alberto Fujimori hospitalized for tests, his wife in a coma

Additional charges against Fujimori are under evaluation

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has been taken to a Lima clinic to undergo urgent tests, as his health seems to be deteriorating, according to his daughter and former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori.

The former head of state had undergone surgery last month, but it was yet unclear whether the new complications were linked to that previous ailment. On October 4, the former leader underwent surgery to place a vascular prosthesis. Alberto Fujimori is currently serving a prison sentence for crimes against humanity.

The 83-year-old Fujimori has been transferred to the San Felipe Clinic for urgent examinations to determine the reasons for his low oxygen saturation, which was to have been solved by October's heart surgery, according to family sources.

Keiko Fujimori also explained “doctors believe it is pulmonary fibrosis,” which is why the new tests were necessary.

Congressman Alejandro Aguinaga, who used to be the ex-president's general practicioner, had stated, after the operation that his treatment “entails, at least, six months of having him very anticoagulated and that requires quite a bit of control.”

Fujimori's wife and former First Lady Susana Higuchi (73) has been admitted into the Ricardo Palma clinic for respiratory problems and is under induced coma.

The 83-year-old former president underwent surgery a month ago for a blockage in an artery in the heart and is periodically transferred to clinics for various chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, a lumbar hernia, gastritis, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and tongue lesions, known as leukoplakia.

Alberto Fujimori, who was president of Peru from 1990 to 2000, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity. He has been in prison since 2007 and among the crimes for which he was sentenced are the Barrios Altos (1991) and La Cantuta (1992) massacres.

Both were perpetrated by the covert military group Colina, and left 25 people dead. He is also charged with abuse of power, embezzlement, corruption offenses, and the kidnapping of a businessman and a journalist. Additional charges against Fujimori are curently under evaluation, including forced sterilizations and the Pativilca massacre (1992) where six people were murdered at the hands of the Colina group.