Humala's revolt is the latest chapter in the political drama that has gripped Peru since a bribery scandal forced Fujimori to call early presidential elections and drove his former spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, into hiding. The crisis, now in its eighth week, has pitted the two former allies against each other and has seriously divided the ranks of the armed forces.
Most observers believe a military overthrow is unlikely.
But the unrest threatens to complicate Peru's delicate political transition, drive away investors, and create a power vacuum at the top. The political opposition is calling for Fujimori's immediate departure and the installation of a caretaker government to oversee new elections in April. The Organization of American States and Washington, meanwhile, are doing their best to ensure an orderly handover of power. But the army's erratic behavior could delay the handover for months and even derail it. The rift between Fujimori and Montesinos is at the heart of the problem.