Peru ex-president Garcia dies after shooting himself to avoid arrest

Former Peru president Alan Garcia died in hospital on Wednesday after shooting himself in the head at his home as police were about to arrest him in a graft investigation, a party official said. He was 69.

“Alan Garcia has died, long live Apra,” said Omar Quesada, the general secretary of Garcia’s American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Apra) party.

Peru’s current President Martin Vizcarra expressed his sympathy on his Twitter account.

“Dismayed by the death of ex-president Alan Garcia. I send my condolences to his family and loved ones,” Vizcarra wrote in a tweet.

Garcia was president on two occasions, from 1985-90 and 2006-11.

Police were acting on an arrest warrant for money laundering linked to the wide-ranging corruption scandal involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

Peru’s health ministry said the bullet passed straight through Garcia’s head.

Garcia suffered cardiac arrest three times while undergoing emergency surgery, Health Minister Zulema Tomas said.