Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-ir) -- There was great deal of unrest on the afternoon of Saturday September 22 as Lima, Peru prepared for the return of Alberto Fujimori.

The night before, congresswoman and daughter of Peru's former president, Keiko Fujimori summoned all of her father's supporters to Jorge Chavez International Airport.

On the afternoon the extradited former president was to arrive to Peru, "Fujimoristas" - supporters of Fujimori's political party - swamped the airport and stopped traffic in the street.

Attempts were made to cross into the airstrip and landing fields where it was thought that the former president would arrive.

Signs were waved in the air as people chanted in support of the man that had done away with terrorism. As Peru's police attempted to organize the crowd, resistance was fierce and the Fujimoristas were unwilling to be tamed. Fires were lit in the street and tires were burned.

When asked about the situation, Keiko Fujimori responded that the Fujimoristas were peacefully exercising their right to protest. Alberto Fujimori did no arrive to Jorge Chavez national airport that afternoon, instead he was transported to a police facility in Ate.

Politicians and authorities have stated that the issue should not divide the country. That has yet to be seen.

For instance, "El Ojo Que Llora" ("The Eye That Cries"), a monument in Jesus Maria, built in memory of the victims of terrorism, was vandalized this weekend. The monument made by the Dutch-born sculptor Lika Mutal, was covered in red and orange paint.

Upon receiving news of the monument's vandalism, former congresswoman for Fujimori's political party and Fujimorista, Martha Chavez stated, "I applaud that someone finally had the courage to eliminate that piece of trash monument."

In addition, Chavez stated that if she had had family members that had been affected by terrorism that she would have destroyed the monument herself.

Family members of the victims that were honored by the monument have taken the Fujimorista's words as a threat and are very concerned. Ismael Vega, the Director of Amnesty International in Peru has stated that the comments made by Chavez are an inexcusable sign of intolerance while supporting delinquency and acts of hate.

It has been announced that human rights activists and the family members of the victims will march to the monument on Thursday as a sign of protest to the acts of hate.