The Peruvian army has mobilised troops in the far south of the country to suppress a revolt by about 50 soldiers who took control of a copper mine early yesterday.
The leader of the rebel soldiers, Lieut-Col Ollanta Humala Tasso, declared in a statement broadcast by radio stations that President Alberto Fujimori was no longer a legitimate ruler.
Calling on other members of the military to join his revolt, Lieut-Col Tasso also denounced Mr Fujimori's former secret police chief, Mr Vladimiro Montesinos. Despite Saturday's reshuffle of the military hierarchy, Montesinos loyalists remained in command, he said.
An army helicopter and trucks carrying troops left the towns of Tacna and Arequipa in pursuit of the rebel solders, who had moved on from the town of Toquepala, with its copper mines, to make for highlands further east, according to local media reports.
Tacna province lies 1,000 km south of Lima, on the border with Chile.
As they moved east, they took with them as a hostage Lieut-Col Tasso's commanding officer, Gen Oscar Bardales, according to the same reports.
The army command said in a statement from Lima that it would take the necessary steps "to safeguard the political and social stability of the country." It said the revolt was backed by a non-commissioned officer, 49 military personnel and three civilians.
Lieut-Col Tasso, head of antiaircraft artillery unit 501, said in his broadcast statement that Mr Montesinos should be brought to trial.
"Fujimori cannot be considered the supreme leader of the armed forces," he said, calling on other officers "as soldiers, to make a manly decision" and join him in revolt.
He also said he and his followers would only lay down their weapons when there was a legitimately elected president in power, referring to the controversy surrounding Mr Fujimori's election to a third term in power in May.
Meanwhile Humala Tasso's father, Mr Isaac Humala, contacted by reporters, said he was proud of his son's actions.
"My son rose up against the ones who are usurping power, like Mr. Fujimori, who took power via fraudulent elections, and a military command that is usurping the power of the armed forces," he said.
On Saturday, Mr Fujimori reshuffled Peru's military commanders following Mr Montesinos' surprise return to Peru on October 23rd after rumours were revived that Montesinos loyalists could move to undermine the civilian government.
Lieut-Col Tasso dismissed the shake-up, saying: "That's not going to change anything . . . they are Montesinos' people." Mr Montesinos fled to Panama on September 23rd following the broadcast of a video in which he was seen handing a $15,000 dollar bribe to an opposition legislator.
The corruption scandal prompted Mr Fujimori to announce, after a decade in power, that he would call early elections but would not himself stand for re-election. Mr Fujimori also pledged to dismantle the feared National Intelligence Service (SIN) secret police, which Mr Montesinos headed.