After 24 years, he comes out to clarify the facts. The former senior officer of Congress, José Cevasco, assured yesterday Peru21 that the late former president Alberto Fujimori did not resign, on November 20, 2020, by fax, but rather did so through a letter, signed by his own hand, sent from Japan, and brought to Lima by his aide-de-camp.
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“The Secretary General of the Government Palace at that time called me by phone and told me that Mr. President (Alberto Fujimori) had resigned. But, the original resignation was coming with the aide-de-camp of the former President of Japan. Naturally, that resignation took 23 hours to arrive in Lima. But, I asked the aide-de-camp for a copy to show to the then President of Congress, Valentín Paniagua (after the censure of Martha Hildebrandt). He sent me a copy by fax. And I showed it to him, until the original arrived, which the aide-de-camp (of Fujimori) had been bringing.”
Interview with former Congressional chief of staff, José Cevasco, on Fujimori’s resignation. (Video: Juan Carlos Chamorro)
“The next day, I received a letter from the Secretary General (of the Palace), and in that letter he attached Mr. Fujimori’s original resignation, dated November 20. That is the document that is being processed,” he said.
He clarified that Fujimori did not resign by fax, but that he sent a copy to show to the then president of Congress, Valentín Paniagua, to corroborate it, and who, after Fujimori’s resignation, assumed the presidency.
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He also clarified that the aide-de-camp sends the resignation to him by fax.
“I need to say it. I was the senior officer at the time. For the sake of Mr. Fujimori’s memory, for his honour, Peruvians deserve to know the truth. I said it a few years ago, and I think this is a good time to reaffirm it,” he concluded.