Fujimori Extradited by Chile Court

Peru's former president, Alberto Fujimori, aged 69, is to be extradited from Chile and shipped back to Peru.

Once in Peru, he will be welcomed with open arms by his numerous detractors, who have been dogging him about the small matter of his alleged human-rights abuses and corruption. Fujimori -- no surprises here -- of course denies any misdeeds.

Fujimori foolishly flew to Chile in 2005 from his safe haven in Japan, where he has dual citizenship and enjoys immunity as well as, for all we know, geisha-girl comforts three times a week.

His trip to Chile was part of his master plan to make a successful return to Peru in order to once again throw his hat into Peru's muddled political ring. In thanks for his efforts, he immediately found himself under house arrest after arriving in Chile and has been inconveniently in this state from then till now.

Fujimori contends that the charges against him are politically motivated. And perhaps in the mind of the former president, "Poor, poor Mr Fujimori" shirts will be in popular demand this year in Peru.

It may well be that Mr Fujimori is about to learn the old adage that human-rights abuses and corruption do not pay unless you stay in a country in which you have diplomatic immunity. He could have asked any number of former Latin American dictators and despots along the Riviera.