In December 1996, Nestor Cerpa Cartolini of Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) humiliated the government of Peru when only 14 guerrillas successfully took control of the heavily guarded Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru. MRTA first took 600 guests attending an embassy party hostage but released over 500 of them unharmed. Alberto Fujimori, Peruvian-born with Japanese ancestry, was the President of Peru. For over four months, MRTA held 72 hostages, demanding Fujimori release Cerpa's wife and other political prisoners. Fujimori and Vladimiro Montesinos, Supreme Head of Intelligence refused to negotiate with terrorists and bought time for a rescue. But, there were surprises to come, from both inside and outside the embassy.
—LA-Lawyer