Communiqué of the OAS High-Level Mission to Peru

The High-Level Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) to Peru has followed with great attention the most recent events in that country, in which members of the opposition have charged, on the basis of solid evidence, that intelligence officers have been implicated in bribes in order to give the government majority support in Congress.

The Mission has received a letter from the principal members of the opposition, in which they suspend their participation in the dialogue on the democratization process and seek immediate sanctions for those who are responsible in this matter. OAS Secretary General César Gaviria and Canada's Ambassador to the OAS, Peter Boehm, representing the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, have met with former Peruvian presidential candidate Alejandro Toledo, who expressed his great concern about what has occurred and offered his opinion as to what he believes the OAS Mission's responsibility is under these circumstances.

In the judgment of the Mission, the acts that have been alleged are of the utmost seriousness and demand that the government of President Alberto Fujimori respond with quick and severe actions which result in the suspension from public duties of those accused in these serious matters, which ensure an investigation with guarantees of independence, timeliness and credibility, and which lead to appropriate sanctions of all those deemed responsible.

Given the numerous accusations that in recent years, and particularly in recent months, have been directed toward Vladimiro Montesinos, it is clear to the Mission that if prompt action is not taken in response to these events, it will be very difficult to re-establish an adequate climate to move ahead with the democratization agenda that has been agreed upon.

The Mission is confident that the government of Peru will act to defend Peruvian democratic institutions, the Constitution and the rule of law. In the coming days the Mission will keep the region's foreign ministers informed on these matters, by whatever means it considers appropiate, as mandated by Resolution 1753, enacted by the General Assembly in Windsor, Canada.

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