Peru's bishops to guard 'sex' tapes

Mr Montesinos had as many as 700 videos made

By South America correspondent James Reynolds

The Roman Catholic Church in Peru has offered to take charge of a number of videotapes reported to show military officers and politicians in sexually compromising situations.

Court sources say they feature military officers and politicians in sexually compromising situations

The tapes were secretly recorded by the country's intelligence service under the direction of former head Vladimiro Montesinos, a key power-broker for former President Alberto Fujimori.

Since the fall of Mr Fujimori's government last November, hundreds of "Vladivideos" have been found.

Many have now been shown to the public.

Most show intelligence agents, led by Mr Montesinos, apparently bribing soldiers, judges, journalists and politicians.

Not for broadcast

Now court officials who are reviewing the tapes say there are a number of videos which will not be broadcast to the public.

Protesters demand all videos be made public

That's because they show situations of a personal nature.

And so the Catholic Church has stepped in.

It has volunteered to take charge of these particular tapes.

Monsignor Luis Bambaren, the head of Peru's Bishops Conference, says the Church will offer to hand over the tapes to those featured in the recordings.

There is of course great speculation as to what the tapes include.

'Brothel' videos

Court sources say they feature military officers and politicians in sexually compromising situations.

One newspaper reports that the intelligence service collected a lot of its material using hidden cameras set up in a brothel in Lima.

The existence of the tapes will come as little surprise to most Peruvians.

For a long time now many have felt that there is little that leading officials would not do and almost nothing that the intelligence service would not film.