Comments by presidential hopeful Keiko Fujimori’s vice president running mate, Rafael Rey, on the government’s forced sterilization program in the 1990’s have raised eyebrows among human rights organizations.
During an interview with Beto Ortiz, the host of TV program Buenos Dias Peru, Rey said the forced sterilization of Victoria Vigo was not “against” her will, but rather “without” her will.
Vigo was one of some 300,000 women that were sterilized during the administration of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori.
“Now they present Mrs Victoria Vigo, who wasn’t sterilized against her will, there are no testimonies that anyone has been sterilized against their will,” Rey said.
When Ortiz pointed out reports in the media that Vigo was indeed forcefully sterilized by the government, Rey responded that the sterilization was instead “without her will, but not against it.”
“I’m in agreement that it is totally barbaric,” said Rey. “But, while doing an operation, they sterilized her, without being consulted.”
“What’s the difference?” responded Ortiz. “Is that to say that if one is castrated while sleeping, it is not against your will but without your will?”
During the interview, Rey said that NGOs and human rights organizations supported the government program.
The president of the Coordinator of National Organizations of People Affected by Political Violence in Peru (Covanip), Daniel Roca, rejected that claim.
“I don’t that that human rights organizations and associations for victims of internal violence have ever kept silent in the face of the sterilizations,” Roca told Ideeleradio.
Fujimori faces opponent Ollanta Humala of the Gana Peru party in a second round vote on June 5. The winner will replace outgoing President Alan Garcia on July 28 for a five-year term.
The issue over forced sterilizations is certainly a serious and regrettable matter. It, however, happened during another time, over a decade ago. Why is it now being brought into the public´s eye? Politics of course. Any reasonably intelligent person can see this and must dismiss the journalistic lefts´ attempt to try and equate forced sterilizations to Keiko Fujimori.
She was no more than a young lady when this happened under her father´s government and she did not order this practice. No First Lady runs the country or sets policy and certainly no one that is First Lady at about 20 years of age would or could even do so.
How low Humala supporters have gone to try and discredit Keiko Fujimori. Unfortunately, many Humala supporters are uneducated and gullible and actually beleive his tripe. They should all take an honest objective look at the type of person they ¨think¨ is a better choice. Any person that is backed by Chavez is unfit to run a democracy. And the bigger issue is you won´t be able to get rid of him when you finally wake-up.