The central story of The Ambassador’s Word revolves around the courageous role played by the Canadian Ambassador to Peru, Anthony Vincent 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.
David Goldfield deftly situates the hostage crisis in the context of Peruvian politics under the rule of Fujimori, who was determined to stamp out guerilla 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.