Susana Higuchi
Encyclopedia
Susana Shizuko Higuchi Miyagawa (born April 26, 1950) is a Peru
vian politician and engineer, better known as the former wife of ex-president of Peru
Alberto Fujimori
. A member of the Peruvian Congress
during the 2001-2006 period, she was elected as a member of the Frente Independiente Moralizador (FIM), a political party allied with then president Alejandro Toledo
.
, who was president of Peru from 1990 until November 2000, when he resigned from office and fled to Japan
as allegations of far-reaching corruption
in his administration began to emerge. She married Fujimori in 1974 and divorced him in 1998. They have four children: Keiko Sofía
, Hiro Alberto, Sachi Marcela and Kenji Gerardo
.
As First Lady
during her husband's presidency, Higuchi was one of the first people in Peru to allege criminal misdoings on the part of her husband. As early as 1992, she denounced several of her Fujimori in-laws for corruption in connection with the sale of used clothing donated by Japan. In 1994, she publicly condemned her husband as a tyrant and his government as corrupt. Fujimori reacted by formally stripping her of the title First Lady
in August 1994, appointing their elder daughter First Lady in her place.
Higuchi thereupon established her own political party, the Harmony 21st century, and announced her intention to enter politics as a candidate for mayor of Lima in the 1995 elections. In December 1994 the Harmony party was ruled ineligible because it failed to muster the required number of signatures to qualify as a legitimate political party.
Because of her outspokenness, Higuchi was subjected to repeated efforts to silence her. In 2001, she told investigators probing the corruption of the Fujimori years that she had been torture
d "five hundred times" by the intelligence services of the Peruvian Army. Fujimori has denied that Higuchi had been tortured. He said the scars on her back and neck were not from torture but from a traditional Japanese herbal treatment called moxibustion
she underwent to help her stop smoking and for back troubles.
In July 2001, she alleged that in 1990, shortly before coming to power, her ex-husband received a donation of US$12.5 million from Japanese citizens destined for poor children in Peru, but he deposited it in a private bank account in Japan.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian politician and engineer, better known as the former wife of ex-president of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
. A member of the Peruvian Congress
Congress of Peru
The Congress of the Republic of Peru or the National Congress of Peru is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru.Congress consists of 130 members of congress , who are elected for five year periods in office on a proportional representation basis...
during the 2001-2006 period, she was elected as a member of the Frente Independiente Moralizador (FIM), a political party allied with then president Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique is a politician who was President of Peru from 2001 to 2006. He was elected in April 2001, defeating former President Alan García...
.
Life
Higuchi was born in Peru of Japanese descent. She was formerly married to Alberto FujimoriAlberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
, who was president of Peru from 1990 until November 2000, when he resigned from office and fled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as allegations of far-reaching corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in his administration began to emerge. She married Fujimori in 1974 and divorced him in 1998. They have four children: Keiko Sofía
Keiko Fujimori
Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi is a Peruvian Fujimorista politician, daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and Susana Higuchi. She served as First Lady, from 1994 to 2000, after her parents divorced, becoming the youngest First Lady in the history of the Americas...
, Hiro Alberto, Sachi Marcela and Kenji Gerardo
Kenji Fujimori
Kenji Gerardo Fujimori Higuchi is a Peruvian businessman and fujimorist politician. He is the son of Alberto Fujimori, authoritarian president of Peru from 1990 to 2001, and the brother of Fuerza 2011 leader Keiko Fujimori...
.
As First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
during her husband's presidency, Higuchi was one of the first people in Peru to allege criminal misdoings on the part of her husband. As early as 1992, she denounced several of her Fujimori in-laws for corruption in connection with the sale of used clothing donated by Japan. In 1994, she publicly condemned her husband as a tyrant and his government as corrupt. Fujimori reacted by formally stripping her of the title First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
in August 1994, appointing their elder daughter First Lady in her place.
Higuchi thereupon established her own political party, the Harmony 21st century, and announced her intention to enter politics as a candidate for mayor of Lima in the 1995 elections. In December 1994 the Harmony party was ruled ineligible because it failed to muster the required number of signatures to qualify as a legitimate political party.
Because of her outspokenness, Higuchi was subjected to repeated efforts to silence her. In 2001, she told investigators probing the corruption of the Fujimori years that she had been torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d "five hundred times" by the intelligence services of the Peruvian Army. Fujimori has denied that Higuchi had been tortured. He said the scars on her back and neck were not from torture but from a traditional Japanese herbal treatment called moxibustion
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or...
she underwent to help her stop smoking and for back troubles.
In July 2001, she alleged that in 1990, shortly before coming to power, her ex-husband received a donation of US$12.5 million from Japanese citizens destined for poor children in Peru, but he deposited it in a private bank account in Japan.