AN IRON HAND IN PERU: BLAME ON ALL SIDES

To the Editor:

The end of Alberto K. Fujimori's presidency in Peru should lead to
reflection on how he was able to stay in power so long and do so much
damage to the country's democratic institutions (news article, Nov. 24).
For my fellow Peruvians, this means coming to grips with the fact that we
were wrong to give up constitutional democracy in favor of an autocracy
that, at least initially, got results.

But the United States also has much to learn. For years, Washington stood
behind Mr. Fujimori and his intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos,
despite the fact that Mr. Montesinos was suspected of human rights abuses
and corruption.

Why did the United States give so much support to such a sinister figure?
Because Mr. Montesinos cooperated with America's drug war. The United
States sacrificed the goal of promoting democracy, human rights and law to
the lesser goals of its drug policy.

MARIA MCFARLAND