Pubdate: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Copyright: 2000 San Jose Mercury News Contact: 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190 Fax: (408) 271-3792 Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/ Author: Kevin G. Hall, Mercury News Rio de Janeiro Bureau OPPOSITION, CITIZENS UPSET BY PERU SPY CHIEF'S ESCAPE LIMA, Peru -- Outraged opposition parties called for President Alberto Fujimori's resignation Monday for letting Peruvian spy-master Vladimiro Montesinos escape into exile in Panama rather than face trial in Peru for his alleged involvement in torture, death squads, drug trafficking and electoral fraud. The Andean nation's political crisis escalated with two important congressmen -- Fernan Altuve and Joaqin Ormeno -- throwing in the towel and quitting Fujimori's party late Monday. Two other lawmakers had resigned over the weekend, and two more are reportedly ready to quit. Although Fujimori has vowed to stay in office until July 28, calls for a caretaker government are growing. His shrinking legislative majority -- now three -- makes political paralysis likely. Montesinos touched off the crisis Sept. 14, when a videotape was leaked to the media showing him allegedly paying a congressman $15,000 to switch parties and join the government coalition in congress. Fujimori responded days later by saying he was morally obliged to call new elections in which he would not participate. He pledged a thorough investigation, but instead allowed Montesinos to leave over the weekend without facing charges. ``Democracy is not strengthened by impunity,'' Sofia Macher, head of the umbrella civic organization Human Rights Coordinating Committee, told reporters as she quit crisis-resolution talks Monday held by the Organization of American States. She criticized OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria and the governments of Brazil and Chile, which joined to pressure Panama to accept Montesinos. Their reputed motive was to stave off a possible coup by military leaders loyal to the spy chief. Far from deserving safe haven in Panama, ``Vladimiro Montesinos is not a politically persecuted person,'' said Jorge del Castillo, an opposition lawmaker and participant in the OAS talks. He called on Fujimori to bring charges against Montesinos or resign. Lima Mayor Alberto Andrade, a possible candidate in new presidential elections, told reporters Monday the exile of Montesinos meant Peru had lost a chance to teach a lesson to all politicians. ``This is a symbol that here nothing will happen'' to politicians who commit crimes, Andrade said. The OAS talks, hung up over Montesinos' exile, broke off shortly after midday Monday, leaving the timetable for new elections unresolved. Talks are to resume this afternoon. Fujimori, who had promised last week to issue a decree certifying that Montesinos had been removed from all government functions, further outraged his foes Monday by delivering far less. Fujimori's decree said only that Montesinos had resigned Sept. 14 -- not been fired -- and praised him for leading Peru's anti-terrorism and counter-narcotics efforts. Fujimori thanked his top ally for ``the importance he has lent to the nation.'' Rising energy prices, rising taxes and high unemployment are part of the problem. But average Peruvians were outraged, too, by the easy escape of a man they'd recently seen on TV allegedly bribing a lawmaker to switch to Fujimori's party. ``The politicians have lost sight of our problems and are only thinking about themselves,'' said Hilda Bello, 54, who voted for Fujimori because he was ``the lesser evil'' among candidates. ``The problem is jobs. That's the issue because there is no work. We will vote again, but it won't matter.'' That view was shared by newspaper vendor David Mina, 21, who said the political crisis will only exacerbate the country's economic troubles. ``I talk to people every day who cannot find work. Everyone says that the political crisis will make things more difficult,'' Mina said, blaming Fujimori for the country's woes. ``Fujimori talks about beating terrorism and inflation. That's fine, no one denies this. But he has gotten us into this problem. He is the one who let Montesinos do these things. Now we will all pay the price for the broken dishes.'' - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst