Peru Military Ends Tense Silence, Backs Fujimori

Breaking a five-day silence that had sparked fears of a coup, Peru’s powerful armed forces Thursday backed President Alberto Fujimori’s call for early elections in a communique that helped ease political nervousness and steadied financial markets.

In the joint communique, the commanders of the army, air force, navy and police said they supported Fujimori’s surprise weekend announcement, which also included deactivating the National Intelligence Service, closely allied with the military.

The statement of allegiance came after days of public worries about the military’s unusual silence amid a crisis sparked by a bribery scandal involving Peru’s spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos.

“The high command of the Armed Forces and the general directorate of the National Police . . . reiterate their firm commitment to collaborate permanently with the government,” said the four-point statement, signed by the commander of the armed forces, Gen. Jose Villanueva Ruesta, and branch commanders.

The communique also said it was denying “speculation” about any meetings in recent days between Villanueva and top regional military commanders, all handpicked by Montesinos.

The statement urged “calm” from the country’s citizenry. But it made no mention of Montesinos, who has not been seen in public since the corruption scandal broke a week ago.

No date was announced for elections, but the government spoke of a March vote, with a new president sworn in next July.

“Montesinos has still got influence over the military command because of the favors they owe him,” said Maximo Rivera Diaz, a retired general who led an anti-terrorist squad from 1992 until 1995 while Peru was in the grip of guerrilla violence. “Of course the hand of Montesinos is behind the communique.”

The whereabouts and fate of Montesinos, who retained an aura of untouchability that shielded him from graft and rights charges for a decade, was the question on everyone’s lips. Fujimori, who defended his former ally in recent days, has not publicly shown that an investigation was underway.

The armed forces’ announcement came as Peruvians remained deeply divided over Fujimori’s authoritarian rule, filling the streets of Lima, the capital, with rallies both for and against him.