General Requests Asylum at U.S. Embassy, Says He Is Threatened Because of His Efforts to Investigate Killings
General Rodolfo Robles and 6 family members entered the embassy early on May 5 for a farewell meeting convened before Robles was to assume his post at the Inter-American Defense Board. Once in the military attaché's office, Robles requested asylum for himself and his family members, claiming he had been threatened — and unexpectedly transferred to Washington — as a result of having passed information about the "La Cantuta" killings to the military judge overseeing the case. Robles said he was ready to make public allegations that Montesinos and Army commander Hermoza were personally responsible for the Army/Intelligence death squads, and that they were linked to drug traffickers.