Out of Print Press Republishes The Ambassador’s Word

By David Goldfield

The central story of The Ambassador’s Word revolves around the courageous role played by Anthony Vincent, the Canadian Ambassador to Peru during a brazen, well-coordinated, and executed hostage taking at the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence in Peru in 1996. Over 600 guests at a pre-Christmas cocktail reception were taken hostage by a group of 14 rebels, part of the Tupac Amaru, who were seeking to gain the release of hundreds of political prisoners from Peruvian prisons.   

Ambassador Vincent, his wife and a long list of elite politicians, business leaders, senior military officials, diplomats, and intellectuals were among the hostages. After an early release Vincent was chosen to become one of the principal intermediaries between the government and the rebels in negotiations that went on for four agonizing months. Vincent courageously sought a peaceful resolution to the standoff, putting himself at great personal risk, as he voluntarily shuttled between Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and the prison-like residence, now surrounded by an army of troops and police as well as a huge international media corps, recording every minute of the drama to the transfixed world audience.  

"Many foreign diplomats lived in San Isidro, a park-like area whose streets were lined with lovely tropical trees - and whose security provisions were excellent. The picturesque luxury of the district was in stark contrast to the drab flatness and desperate poverty characteristic of much of the Peruvian capital’s landscape.
The Japanese wielded significant political and economic influence in Peru, especially under President Alberto Fujimori, who was Peruvian-born but of Japanese ancestry, and who valued the Japanese connection to the influence of the United States and Europe. There was a large Japanese community in Peru, most of them descendants of the wave of workers who, after coming to the country in the late 1800s to work on farms and build railroads, stayed on as immigrants. More recently, increases in investment and trade were adding to the number of Japanese."

I tried to situate the hostage crisis in the context of Peruvian politics under the rule of Fujimori, who was determined to stamp out guerrilla movements at all costs. The prevailing mood had been one of success, until the night of the siege, when the terrorists, many just boys and girls in their teens from rural Peru, pulled off the daring and ingeniously planned operation that galvanized the attention of the world for 128 days. 

Crafted with insider detail and conveyed with brisk realism, The Ambassador’s Word narrates the crisis from its bold beginning to its bloody and controversial conclusion, all the while offering an inspiring portrait of a Canadian official who staked his life on his unbending commitment to diplomacy. Anthony Vincent’s role in the Peruvian drama is considered one of the most dramatic hostage crises involving diplomats in modern history. Vincent was awarded Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal for his leadership during the crisis.

The thrilling story offers a glimpse into the workings of the Canadian Foreign Service, which has a long tradition of defending Canadian interests around the world. Each year, the Canadian Foreign Service must contend with shifting political crises and other risks inherent in the job of representing Canada abroad. Canadian business people, tourists, and academics flow through dangerous parts of the world and often rely on the support of Embassy officials. Most of the time the work is straightforward, but as the book shows, things can happen very suddenly in the diplomatic service.

Out of Print Press is an important publishing option for giving books a second life– keeping important Canadian stories like The Ambassador’s Word available. Too often our Canadian history and heroic acts on the world stage are easily forgotten or the stories never told to a wider audience.   

The Ambassador’s Word is now available for the first time as an ebook wherever ebooks are sold.