Lima March 20. 2002 Peru
In Lima, a vehicle bomb exploded at a shopping center some 50 meters from
US Embassy, killing nine people injuring 32 others, and causing major damage.
Authorities suspected the Maoist Shining Path rebels and / or Tupac Amaru
Revolutionary Movement. The attack occurred days before the US Presidents
planned visit to Peru.
Sendero Luminoso (SL) - Shining Path : Former university professor Abimael
Guzman formed SL in Peru in the late 1960s, and his teachings created the
foundation of SL’s militant Maoist doctrine. In the 1980s, SL became
one of the most ruthless terrorist groups in the Western Hemisphere. Approximately
30,000 persons have died since Shining Path took up arms in 1980. The Peruvian
Government made dramatic gains against SL during the 1990s, but reports of
recent SL involvement in narcotrafficking and kidnapping for ransom indicate
it may have a new source of funding with which to sustain a resurgence. Its
stated goal is to destroy existing Peruvian institutions and replace them
with a communist peasant revolutionary regime. It also opposes any influence
by foreign governments. In January 2003, Peruvian courts granted approximately
1,900 members the right to request retrials in a civilian court, including
the imprisoned top leadership. Counterterrorist operations targeted pockets
of terrorist activity in the Upper Huallaga River Valley and the Apurimac/Ene
River Valley, where SL columns continued to conduct periodic attacks. Peruvian
authorities captured severalSL members in 2003.
