Controversy still looms over Peru embassy siege
- 12 years ago
Fifteen years after the Peruvian army stormed the Japanese embassy in Lima to rescue 72 hostages, the incident still proves divisive.
For nearly five months fighters from the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement had held dozens of hostages in the Japanese embassy following a party attended by politicians, judges, and foreign diplomats.
Since the 1997 raid however, there have been ongoing questions over whether the nature of the deaths of the 14 fighters in the embassy at the time.
In particular, the death of Eduardo Cruz, known as "Comrade Tito" left some asking if he and two other fighters had been killed in combat during the siege or captured and later murdered?
New evidence meant to prove that extrajudicial killings did not occur in the siege has renewed the controversy.
Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez reports from Lima.
For nearly five months fighters from the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement had held dozens of hostages in the Japanese embassy following a party attended by politicians, judges, and foreign diplomats.
Since the 1997 raid however, there have been ongoing questions over whether the nature of the deaths of the 14 fighters in the embassy at the time.
In particular, the death of Eduardo Cruz, known as "Comrade Tito" left some asking if he and two other fighters had been killed in combat during the siege or captured and later murdered?
New evidence meant to prove that extrajudicial killings did not occur in the siege has renewed the controversy.
Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez reports from Lima.