Apr 12 2009
The Shining Path is Back, Well, Never Really Went Away
The leftist rebel group, the Shining Path, is still active in Peru, if only a small flicker compared to their previous existence when they terrorized the country, and tens of thousands died as part of the fighting between them and the government. Today, 13 soldiers were killed in the Ayacucho region in the southeast of Peru. Last year the guerrillas killed 25 soldiers and police. This is not the full-scale revolution that officially ended in 1992, but it is a rise in violence, and a sign that the political situation in Peru is not settled.
Why has the Shining Path started fighting again? It, like most fighting, is a response. The Peruvian government started Operation Excellence in 2008 to go after the remaining revolutionaries. These men have most likely been fighting for years, living in the forests, and are not going to be easy targets. They also are allegedly tied with some of the Peruvian cocaine industry, which would supply revenue for the group. Meanwhile, the former leader who is hailed as a hero by some for putting down the group, Fujimori, was just recently sentenced to 25 years for human rights abuses. His daughter is expected to run as a conservative candidate in the next elections. Looks like the ghosts from the past are coming out to settle things. I just hope that the people aren’t caught in the cross fire.
Peru has been a mess for a while, I would not say I agree with everything Sendero Luminoso has done, but they can not be worse than the repressive government of Fujimori. And killing cops and soldiers is revolutionary not terroristic. I hope Fujimori lives a long time in prison, like maybe 24 years and 364 days would be perfect.