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| Alan Gabriel Ludwig García Pérez, 23 May 1949 – 17 April 2019) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru from 1985 to 1990 and again from 2006 to 2011. He was the second leader of the Peruvian Aprista Party and the only party member ever to have served as President. Image: REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo/File. |
Lima, PERU:
Peru’s ex-president Alan Garcia has died after shooting himself as police arrived to arrest him in a bribery probe.
Peru’s ex-president Alan Garcia has died after shooting himself as police arrived to arrest him in a bribery probe.
He was taken to hospital in a critical condition in Lima but later died, according to the leader of Garcia's political party.
"This morning a dramatic accident took place: the president took the decision to shoot a bullet (in the head),"
his lawyer, Erasmo Reyna, told journalists outside the hospital.
his lawyer, Erasmo Reyna, told journalists outside the hospital.
The 69-year-old was president of Peru from 1985 to 1990 and again between 2006 and 2011.
Police arrived at Garcia's home around 13.30 CEST on Wednesday, according to AFP news agency.
He was set to be arrested in the Odebrecht corruption probe.
Odebrecht is a Brazilian construction firm that has been involved in the building of venues for the 2016 Olympics and 2014 football World Cup.
It triggered Latin America's biggest corruption scandal when it admitted in 2016 that it had paid kickbacks to politicians across the region to secure lucrative contracts.
Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction giant last year admitted to $800 million in payoffs in exchange for lucrative contracts for projects including roads, dams and bridges. The company was a main builder across Latin America, where it profited from a commodities boom that led to a huge spike in infrastructure construction.
The revelation that Odebrecht had secured contracts through graft set off a flurry of investigations by prosecutors and lawmakers, principally in Latin America, as they sought to learn who was on the receiving end of the payments.
Mr. García, 69, a rare two-term president who had become a larger-than-life figure in Peru, and whose legacy straddled periods of both growth and economic collapse, knew that he was under investigation. Last year, he fled to the Uruguayan Embassy in Lima, the capital, where he asked for asylum. The request was denied, and Mr. García returned home.
On Wednesday morning, the Peruvian authorities ordered an initial 10-day detention of Mr. García on accusations of money laundering, influence peddling and collusion. The measure allows officials to hold suspects before charges are formally presented.
That afternoon, mourners from his political party gathered outside the hospital as news came that the former president was dead.
Writing on Twitter , Peru’s current president, Martín Vizcarra, said that he was “dismayed” by the death of Mr. García, who served one term from 1985 to 1990 and another from 2006 to 2011. Mr. Vizcarra joined many Latin American leaders in expressing their condolences to Mr. García’s family.
The kickback scandals in which Mr. García had been implicated have touched off a surge of arrests throughout the region.
In Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sentenced to 12 years in prison last year for corruption and money laundering, and is accused of taking bribes from Odebrecht.
In Ecuador, a former vice president was given a six-year sentence for pocketing millions from the company.
And in Colombia, protesters have called for the resignation of the attorney general, who is investigating Odebrecht despite having worked as an adviser to one of its partners.
Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction giant last year admitted to $800 million in payoffs in exchange for lucrative contracts for projects including roads, dams and bridges. The company was a main builder across Latin America, where it profited from a commodities boom that led to a huge spike in infrastructure construction.
The revelation that Odebrecht had secured contracts through graft set off a flurry of investigations by prosecutors and lawmakers, principally in Latin America, as they sought to learn who was on the receiving end of the payments.
Mr. García, 69, a rare two-term president who had become a larger-than-life figure in Peru, and whose legacy straddled periods of both growth and economic collapse, knew that he was under investigation. Last year, he fled to the Uruguayan Embassy in Lima, the capital, where he asked for asylum. The request was denied, and Mr. García returned home.
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| Mr.Garcia in Lima, Last Year. Image: Ernesto Arias/EPA via Shutterstock. |
On Wednesday morning, the Peruvian authorities ordered an initial 10-day detention of Mr. García on accusations of money laundering, influence peddling and collusion. The measure allows officials to hold suspects before charges are formally presented.
That afternoon, mourners from his political party gathered outside the hospital as news came that the former president was dead.
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| Police officers outside the hospital where Mr. García was treated on Wednesday. Guadalupe Pardo/Reuters. |
Writing on Twitter , Peru’s current president, Martín Vizcarra, said that he was “dismayed” by the death of Mr. García, who served one term from 1985 to 1990 and another from 2006 to 2011. Mr. Vizcarra joined many Latin American leaders in expressing their condolences to Mr. García’s family.
The kickback scandals in which Mr. García had been implicated have touched off a surge of arrests throughout the region.
In Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sentenced to 12 years in prison last year for corruption and money laundering, and is accused of taking bribes from Odebrecht.
In Ecuador, a former vice president was given a six-year sentence for pocketing millions from the company.
And in Colombia, protesters have called for the resignation of the attorney general, who is investigating Odebrecht despite having worked as an adviser to one of its partners.
Peru's Interior Minister Carlos Moran said at a news conference shortly before Garcia died that the former president had told police he needed to call his attorney after they arrived at his home to arrest him.
"He entered his room and closed the door behind him,"
Moran said.
"Within a few minutes, a shot from a firearm was heard, and police forcibly entered the room and found Mr Garcia sitting with a wound in his head."
Moran said.
"Within a few minutes, a shot from a firearm was heard, and police forcibly entered the room and found Mr Garcia sitting with a wound in his head."
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