Former Peruvian Foreign Minister Dies in Brazilian Prison Hospital While Awaiting Extradition
RIO DE JANEIRO, February 2 – Augusto Blacker Miller, Peru’s former foreign minister during the turbulent 1990s, died on January 23 in the Hamilton Agostinho Penal Hospital within Rio de Janeiro’s Gericino prison complex, authorities confirmed Monday. The 80-year-old, arrested by Brazilian federal police in December on an Interpol red notice, suffered a fatal cardiorespiratory arrest.
Miller served as foreign minister under former President Alberto Fujimori from 1991 to 1992, a period marked by authoritarian governance and economic shock therapy. He had been a fugitive since 2021, when an Albanian court convicted him in absentia for his role in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme linked to a mining concession. His arrest at a luxury apartment in São Paulo last year highlighted the long arm of international warrants, even for aging former officials.
His death in custody raises immediate questions about medical care for elderly detainees in Brazil’s penal system and underscores the unresolved legal shadows of Fujimori’s regime. While Peruvian authorities had been preparing an extradition request, Miller’s passing closes one chapter of a protracted corruption saga, but leaves victims and watchdog groups demanding broader accountability.
Analysis: Miller’s case exemplifies the delayed—and often elusive—pursuit of justice for figures from authoritarian eras. His death in a prison hospital, rather than in a courtroom, denies a definitive legal reckoning and may complicate ongoing investigations into corruption networks that spanned continents. The incident also pressures Brazil’s judiciary to review protocols for detaining elderly, high-profile international fugitives.
Reactions & Commentary
Carlos Mendez, Political Analyst (Lima): “This is a tragic but inevitable epilogue. Miller symbolized the impunity of the Fujimori inner circle. His death in detention, while legally unresolved, reminds us that time itself can become an agent of injustice.”
Dr. Ana Silva, Human Rights Advocate (São Paulo): “Regardless of the crimes alleged, every detainee deserves adequate healthcare. An 80-year-old with serious health conditions should have been under closer medical supervision. This demands an independent inquiry.”
Markus Vogel, International Law Professor (Berlin): “The Interpol system worked to locate him, but the subsequent bureaucratic delay between arrest, potential extradition, and trial created a dangerous limbo. This case shows why expedited procedures are needed for elderly defendants.”
Elena Rossi, Journalist & Corruption Investigator (Rome, voice raised): “He died in a hospital bed, not a prison cell? How convenient. This man allegedly siphoned millions from one of the poorest countries in the Americas and evaded justice for years. Now he escapes final judgment entirely. Where is the closure for the people he betrayed?”
Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Additional background and analysis by the Reuters desk. Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Alex Richardson.