PERU: Satomi Kataoka, girlfriend of former Peruvian President Fujimori campaigns for his party in Lima

Record ID: 603526

  • Title: PERU: Satomi Kataoka, girlfriend of former Peruvian President Fujimori campaigns for his party in Lima
  • Date: 12th March 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) FUJIMORI'S GIRLFRIEND, SATOMI KATAOKA, SAYING: "During these two years, El Chino (nickname for Fujimori) was always thinking of the poor people of Peru and was always dreaming of returning and working with the poor of Peru."
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Peru
  • Country: Peru
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC73JPXBS8D1GRRJKKB4QN6OGF
  • Story Text: The girlfriend of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, campaigned for his party on Saturday (March 11) accompanied by his brother and daughter.
    The presidential candidate for Fujimori's party, Martha Chavez, also joined the rally in a downtown Lima nightclub.
    Fujimori's girlfriend, Satomi Kataoka, led the audience in a rousing chant of "El Chino (Fujimori's nickname) is Martha, Martha is El Chino."
    "During these two years, El Chino (nickname for Fujimori) was always thinking of the poor people of Peru and was always dreaming of returning and working with the poor of Peru," Kataoka said.
    Amid the celebrating, Fujimori's brother Santiago announced that Fujimori and Kataoka would marry soon.
    "Satomi will marry Alberto," he told the audience.
    Kataoka added that she would join Fujimori to return to Peru "to fight in Peru".
    Kataoka arrived in Lima on Friday (March 10) to lend her support to the electoral campaign of the former president's party while he awaits extradition in Chile.
    Kataoka, a Japanese businesswoman, also met with Fujimori's defence attorney to prepare an international campaign aimed at improving his image. The former president has been jailed in Chile since November of 2004, awaiting extradition to Peru where he is charged with human rights violations and corruption while he was in office.
    Fujimori was in exile in Japan for 5 years as Peru sought his return to face charges. He returned to South America in late 2005 saying he wanted to clear up his name and run for president of Peru, where he enjoys significant support.
    But electoral officials ruled that Fujimori was ineligible to run for office and his party backed Martha Chavez as presidential candidate.
    Fujimori has three children with his former wife Susana Higuchi-- a Peruvian of Japanese descent who is currently a legislator.
    A recent poll recently placed Chavez in fifth place, with 4 percent of the vote, for the April 9 elections.
    The former president met Kataoka in Japan, where the two live together. He was president of Peru for two terms, in 1990 and 2000.
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