Everything began on the night of December 17, 1996, at the Japanese Embassy in Lima, Peru. It was invaded by the MRTA (Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement). The guerrillas demanded the release of 500 comrades who were imprisoned.
The Tupac Amaru organization in Peru was practically extinct. The takeover of the embassy was a demonstration that the group was still active and planned its reconstruction. “Either we achieve the release of our comrades or we will die with the hostages,” declared a member of Tupac Amaru.
The 610 people who were at the embassy for an official reception for the birthday of the emperor of Japan Akihito were taken hostage. This was one of the most impressive kidnappings in history, lasting an incredible 126 days. It was second only to the occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, which lasted 444 days.
Everything ended when police and military forces stormed the home of the Japanese ambassador and freed the remaining 72 hostages. All 14 guerrillas from Tupac Amaru were killed. Unfortunately, the hostage Carlos Giusti, a Supreme Court judge, was killed along with two military personnel. Five other hostages were injured.
Operation Chavín de Huantar
80 agents stormed the embassy to rescue the hostages exactly at 3:30 PM. They were equipped with bulletproof vests, and President Alberto Fujimori oversaw everything on site. He stated that the hostages were released “safe and sound” in a mission that lasted 40 minutes.
A guerrilla claimed that four of the younger kidnappers tried to surrender, but were still killed by the military. President Fujimori confirmed the casualty figures and said that “there was no other way” to resolve the situation.
The guerrillas who invaded the embassy played soccer daily. The military took advantage of this occasion and stormed the embassy through a tunnel. Ambassador Jorge Gumucio stated that the hostages had been warned in advance that there would be a military intervention.
Among the freed hostages were two Peruvian ministers, the ambassadors of Japan and Bolivia, another 23 Japanese citizens, and several Peruvians, including the brother of President Fujimori.
The leader of the guerrillas was Néstor Cerpa Cartolini, second only to Víctor Polay Campos, the founder of the group. The Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement was founded in 1984, inspired by other leftist guerrillas in the region.
During and after the operation, several explosions of unknown origin occurred inside the home of the Japanese ambassador. It is unclear whether the explosions were caused by grenades or explosives that the terrorists placed on site.
This was the historical event involving Japan and Peru. In case you didn’t know, Peru has a good relationship with the Japanese and received many immigrants. Peruvians can even enter Japan without a visa, thanks to the good relations that the Japanese president fostered while governing Peru.
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