[1835] in peace2
Fwd: Peru apologizes for forced sterilizations
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Shereen S Katrak)
Thu Aug 1 14:45:30 2002
Message-Id: <200208011845.OAA29275@no-knife.mit.edu>
To: peace-announce@MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 14:45:13 -0400
From: Shereen S Katrak <shereen@MIT.EDU>
The following story dated 7/24/02 is from United Press International:
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20020724-121010-8030r
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Peru apologizes for forced sterilizations
>From the International Desk
Published 7/24/2002 12:45 PM
View printer-friendly version
LIMA, Peru, July 24 (UPI) -- Peru's Health Ministry issued a public
apology
following the publication of a report that revealed that the ministry
oversaw a forced sterilization program during the presidency of Alberto
Fujimori.
Health Minister Fernando Carbone confirmed that at least 200,000 Peruvians
were sterilized without their consent or were persuaded to have the
operation after officials bribed or threatened them.
The majority of the sterilizations took place between 1996 and 2000 in
rural
areas, particularly in the country's Andean region. The majority of
victims
were poor and frequently illiterate women from the Quechua and Aymara
indigenous ethnic groups.
Several women are believed to have died after the operations, which often
took place in unhygienic conditions. Only 45 percent of operations during
the program were carried out under anesthesia, and the health authorities
provided no aftercare.
One witness, Julia, told the investigating commission that a group of
doctors visited her Andean village promising its residents a new era of
well-being and improved health.
"Later they threatened us and practically forced us to do it (accept
sterilization)," she said. "They shut me up in a room and forced me to get
undressed. Everything that happened was because they used force. I didn't
want to go through with it."
Julia also confirmed that because of the botched nature of the operation,
she has a large scar across her stomach and is still in considerable pain.
Carbone announced legal proceedings Tuesday against those officials who
designed and implemented the "attack on the physical and psychological
integrity of these compatriots."
The minister said he hoped they would be swiftly brought to justice and
would face severe punishment.
The report into the sterilization program suggests that just 10 percent of
the 215,227 female sterilizations and 16,547 vasectomies carried out
between
1996 and 2000 were voluntary.
The investigating commission said the remainder were either bullied into
giving their permission by the Fujimori-era health authorities or were
sterilized without their permission.
The figures for sterilizations are almost three times higher than in the
period before the introduction of the program in 1996 and rose every year
of
the program as officials sought to meet Fujimori-imposed family-planning
targets.
The program's focus on impoverished Andean villagers has created severe
demographic problems in the region, and there is concern that a shortage
of
young people could threaten the future of traditional indigenous village
life.
As well as interviewing victims of the program, the commission had access
to
56 official documents, which they say proves the sterilization program was
sanctioned at the highest levels of the Fujimori regime.
Carbone said there was no doubt that Fujimori knew about and approved the
program.
"In the majority of cases we can see the clear influence of the
presidential
office as well as the involvement of senior state officials, including
ministers and regional and general authorities," the minister said.
The revelations have led to calls for Fujimori to be charged with
genocide.
The former president is in voluntary exile in Japan. He fled Peru in 2000
in
the wake of a major corruption scandal and is already wanted by the
Peruvian
authorities to face charges of treason and illegal enrichment.
Copyright ) 2002 United Press International
