Peruvian Rebels Free Seven More Hostages

Peruvian rebels freed seven hostages in a New Year’s Day release Wednesday, leaving 74 businessmen and political officials still held in the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Lima.

After 15 days of captivity, the seven haggard hostages walked from the residence about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday, accompanied by Roman Catholic Archbishop Juan Luis Cipriani and a Red Cross official. Most appeared to be Japanese or Peruvians of Japanese descent.

Cipriani, who has been an important channel in negotiations between the rebels and the government, walked the smiling excaptives out of the residency compound. Applause from journalists and onlookers greeted them as they boarded a waiting bus.

They were taken to a nearby police hospital for a medical examination, their bus escorted by motorcycle police.

It was the second release of hostages since Tuesday, when two hostages were let go.

Among the hostages released were Alberto Yamamoto, president of Peru’s National Institute for Development, and Juan Assereto, an economic adviser to the government, the Red Cross said in a statement.

It has been more than two weeks since rebels of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement raided a party at the ambassador’s house and seized more than 500 guests - most of them businessmen, ambassadors, journalists and other political officials.

Almost immediately, the rebels began releasing hostages, freeing some 200, including all the women, the first night.

Japanese Ambassador Morihisa Aoki, who is among the remaining hostages, accepted at least partial responsibility for the takeover, apparently referring to low levels of security during the Dec. 17 party.

“It was due to my lack of discretion that this kind of incident occurred,” Aoki said Tuesday in an interview with journalists allowed inside the compound. “I feel that I must deeply apologize to the Japanese people and government.”

There were hopes the crisis would be resolved soon, when rebels released 20 hostages Saturday after their first face-to-face meeting with the government’s negotiator.

The rebels had appeared to back off of their demand that the government free some 300 jailed rebels. But Tupac Amaru leaders revived that demand Tuesday during their first meeting with journalists since the crisis started.

Fujimori has stood firm publicly against the Tupac Amaru, saying he would not negotiate until the rebels disarmed and freed the hostages.