Reports indicate that on October 31 judicial authorities ordered 36 months of preventive detention against Keiko Fujimori, following a request submitted by the prosecutors’ office, citing fears that Keiko could attempt to flee the country. Keiko is the leader of Fuerza Popular (FP) and daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, and is under investigation for allegedly running a criminal organization to collect bribes. According to judicial sources, Keiko Fujimori’s Frente 2011 (the political party that preceded FP) received 1 million USD in bribes from the Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht during the 2011 presidential election campaign. She was imprisoned on November 1 in Lima.
Keiko Fujimori’s preventive detention adds to ongoing political tensions in Peru. Although the FP remains the largest party in Congress, it has lost much of its popular support due to corruption allegations. FP politicians accuse the judiciary system of being biased against the party, suggesting judges are susceptible to unlawful political pressures. Pending a final sentence against Keiko, her preventive detention is likely to stand, effectively disqualifying her from holding political office. In this context, additional requests for the preventive detention of Fujimori’s collaborators are likely to be presented over the course of the following months. Bearing in mind that low-scale scuffles between FP supporters and detractors transpired throughout related judicial procedures, demonstrations demanding Fujimori’s release could potentially take place in the coming weeks, especially in Lima.