At the end of 1997, we argued that what was going to happen with Sendero Luminoso during 1998, both regarding the possibility of its final defeat and its reconstitution, depended …
Books & Articles
3 documents in Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Peru
The Shining Path attack on the town of Nuevo Progreso in the Huallaga region last weekend shows that the resurgence of the terrorist threat is considerably more than "the final …
In 1983, Sendero Luminoso decided to extend its traditional sphere of influence to the eastern slopes of the Andes, with the directive to "conquer support bases." This political and military …
Showing 1–3 of 3 documents
Timeline Events 49
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Multiple rape of woman by six hikers in Sint Maarten
A woman was sexually harassed by a neighboring PCP-SL member who told her that if she turned herself in to them they would not make problems for her. When she refused, the man vowed revenge. One day, some men came to her house saying they were coming to kill her …
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Attack on Aucayacu
In 1997, the Shining Path PCP carried out a new attack on the town of Aucayacu, in the department of San Martin. This attack was part of the subversive actions that continued in the Huallaga region after 1992, although with less intensity than in previous years. During the confrontation, more …
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Taking of Aucayacu
In August 1996, ninety subversives of the Shining Path PCP took the town of Aucayacu and attacked the police post. This attack was part of a series of PCP-SL actions in the region that demonstrated their ability to mobilize large contingents, despite the general decline in subversive activity following the …
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Takeover of the village of Marona
In June 1996, forty subversives of the Shining Path PCP took the town of Marona. This attack was part of a series of incursions that demonstrated that the PCP-SL still had the capacity to mobilize large contingents in the region, despite being in a period of decline following the capture …
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Economic crisis in the Huallaga river basin due to falling coca prices
Since April 1995, there has been a crisis of proportions in the Huallaga basin for various reasons: the overstocking of cocaine in international markets, the self-supply of coca leaf and PBC by groups in Colombian territory, and the effects of aerial interdiction. The price of a bushel of coca fell …
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Subversive Incursions in Julio C. Tello
In February 1995, subversive incursions were registered in Julio C. Tello, in the context of the continuation of violent actions by the Shining Path PCP in the Huallaga region. This event was part of a series of attacks that included assaults on military convoys and selective assassinations of authorities. The …
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Arrest of Operation Aries
Operation Aries was a large-scale military operation launched in April 1994 in the Huallaga region, as part of the counter-subversive strategy in an area that remained violent while the rest of the country was increasingly pacified. However, the operation was halted in May of the same year in the face …
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Attack on Tocache airport
In May 1994, the Shining Path PCP attacked the Tocache airport. This attack was part of a series of violent actions carried out by the subversive organization in the Huallaga region during that period. One soldier was killed in the attack. This event occurred in a context where the PCP-SL …
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Motion of condemnation against CNDDHH passed
The pro-Fujimori congressman Oswaldo Sandoval presented a motion of condemnation against the National Human Rights Coordinator (CNDDHH) for having disseminated, according to him, "without objective and real evidence", the accusations against the armed forces during Operation Aries. The motion was approved by the government majority of the Democratic Constituent Congress …
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Red Cross response to invitation from the Armed Forces Command
On April 27, 1994, George Comninos, representative of the Red Cross in Peru, responded to the invitation made by the Commander General of the Armed Forces, Nicolás de Bari Hermosa, to inspect the conflict zone of Operation Aries. The invitation, made on April 23, proposed that the Red Cross representatives …
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First CNDDHH statement on Operation Aries
On April 19, 1994, the National Human Rights Coordinating Committee (CNDDHH) issued its first public communiqué entitled 'Que no vuelva el horror' (Let the horror not return) on Operation Aries. In this communiqué, the CNDDHH expressed its concern that the military operation continued without taking into account the reports of …
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Launching of Operation Aries
Operation Aries was a large-scale military operation launched in April 1994 in the Huallaga region, as part of the counter-subversive strategy in an area that remained a hotbed of violence while the rest of the country was increasingly pacified. The operation was part of the Army's concentrated efforts to combat …
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Operation Aries and Human Rights Violations in Huallaga
In April 1994, the Peruvian military conducted an operation known as 'Aries' targeting subversive groups in the Huallaga region. General Rodríguez Riveros admitted to the operation's activities, which included confrontations with alleged subversives. Reports emerged of human rights violations, including the execution of civilians, as denounced by Amalia Tolentino Hipolo, …
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Condemnation of CNDDHH by the Democratic Constituent Congress
In April 1994, the Democratic Constituent Congress of Peru condemned the National Coordinator of Human Rights (CNDDHH) for allegedly spreading unfounded accusations against the armed forces. These accusations were related to the military's actions in the Huallaga region during their campaign against subversive groups. Despite evidence of human rights abuses, …
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Operation Aries in the Huallaga river valley
Between April and May 1994, the Armed Forces carried out Operation Aries with the objective of eliminating the presence of the PCP-Sendero Luminoso in the area. The operation involved intense military patrol activity and even aerial bombardment of villages and homes with rocket grenades from helicopters. The areas of greatest …
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End of raids on the left bank of the Huallaga River
In February 1994, the Armed Forces took definitive control of the left bank of the Huallaga River, putting an end to the constant incursions by both the Army and the PCP-SL that had affected the populations settled in that area. From approximately 1990 until the first two months of 1994, …
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Military Atrocities in the Huallaga Region
In 1994, reports emerged of extreme violence and human rights abuses committed by military forces in the Huallaga region of Peru. Witnesses recounted numerous deaths and disappearances, with military personnel accused of killing without trial. In contrast, the PCP-SL, despite its own brutalities, reportedly conducted popular trials for those who …
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Seizure of villages in the Monsoon Valley
In September 1993, more than 200 subversives of the Shining Path PCP took over several villages in the Monzon valley. During this action, the subversives located suspected informers, criminals and coca intermediaries, approximately 24 people in total. These people were killed in a bloody public act. This event was part …
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Assassination of Naranjillo councilman
In August 1993, the Shining Path PCP assassinated a councilman in Naranjillo, a town very close to Tingo Maria. This murder was part of a series of violent actions carried out by the Shining Path in the region during that period, which also included the murder of five soldiers in …
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Ambush in Yanajanca
In July 1993, the Shining Path PCP succeeded in ambushing a military convoy in Yanajanca. The attack resulted in the death of five soldiers and left 15 wounded. This event occurred in a context of continuing violence in the Huallaga region, despite the capture of Abimael Guzman in September 1992. …
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PCP-SL with strong presence on the left bank of the Huallaga river
Despite the Army's operations, in 1993 the PCP-SL maintained a strong presence on the left bank of the Huallaga River in two areas called Bolsón Cuchara and Bolsón Primavera, where it forcibly imposed its organization. The Army had retaken control of Venenillo on the left bank by establishing a military …
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Military Offensive in the Huallaga Region
In 1993, the Peruvian military launched a new offensive in the Huallaga region, a key area for coca production controlled by the PCP-SL. This campaign marked a shift from the 1989 counterinsurgency strategy, focusing instead on massive firepower and the destruction of subversive bases, including coca-growing villages. The operations were …
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Fujimori's Coup and the Control of Narcotrafficking by the SIN
In 1991, while President Alberto Fujimori was negotiating with the United States for military aid to combat drug trafficking, his intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, and military leader, Hermoza Ríos, were monopolizing state presence in the Huallaga region, leading to widespread corruption within the Peruvian military. This situation culminated in Fujimori's …
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Installation of U.S. Southern Command personnel in Huallaga Front
U.S. Army Southern Command personnel were installed with electronic means in the Huallaga Front Command Post to intercept radio communications. This installation was part of the anti-drug forces present in the geographical area of the Huallaga Front during the height of drug trafficking in Campanilla.
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Defeat of the MRTA in Peru
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Peruvian government intensified its counterinsurgency operations against subversive groups, including the MRTA and PCP-SL. The MRTA, despite having well-trained combatants and support from local bases, faced strategic challenges and was significantly weakened by both the PCP-SL and the Peruvian Armed Forces. In …
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PCP-SL Control in the Huallaga Region
In 1992, the Communist Party of Peru - Shining Path (PCP-SL) exerted control over several areas in the Huallaga region, which they considered 'liberated zones. These areas, known as Bolsón Cuchara and Bolsón Primavera, were organized with a structured hierarchy of bases, committees, and a guerrilla army. The local population …
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PCP-SL withdraws to left bank of Huallaga river
In 1992, due to various counter-subversive actions by the armed forces, the PCP-SL began to retreat to the left bank of the Huallaga River, losing control of the villages on the right bank. Despite this retreat, the PCP-SL did not cease to carry out raids in all the villages, reminding …
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Drug traffickers' flight in Campanilla with military protection
A light aircraft with national registration deplaned at 15:00 hours from a runway adapted by 'Limoniel' (known as 'Vaticano') in Campanilla. The loading and unloading operation lasted between 3 to 4 minutes. The head of the Military Base received 4 thousand dollars per flight, with three to four flights per …
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Murder of the Mayor of Tocache, Fredy Aliaga
In 1991, the mayor of Tocache, Fredy Aliaga, was assassinated along with a coca growers' leader. This assassination occurred in the context of the advance of the Shining Path PCP in the region, where the subversive organization was forming popular committees in different towns in the provinces of Bellavista and …
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Incursions and operations on the left bank of the Huallaga river
Between 1990 and the first months of 1994, the populations settled on the left bank of the Huallaga River suffered constant incursions and operations by the Army and the PCP-SL. Villagers hid in the bush during these confrontations, fearing both the Army and the Shining Path. The Army carried out …
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End of lightning operations
Between 1984 and 1990, the Peruvian Army carried out successive lightning operations on both banks of the Huallaga River in order to surprise drug traffickers and the Shining Path organization operating in the area. These operations led to confrontations with PCP-SL companies operating on both banks of the Huallaga River, …
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Meeting between PCP-SL and drug traffickers in the hamlet of Pampayacu
At the end of December 1989, drug trafficker Demetrio Peñaherrera 'Vaticano' was summoned by a PCP-SL commander known as 'Liborio' to a meeting in the hamlet of Pampayacu. This meeting was part of a series of meetings between the PCP-SL and drug trafficking firms in the Uchiza area. Vaticano had …
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Appointment of Gen. Alberto Arciniegas as Political and Military Chief of Huallaga.
On May 2, 1989, one month after the Uchiza disaster, President Alan Garcia appointed Gen. Alberto Arciniegas as Political and Military Chief of Huallaga. He was installed in his position in a public ceremony in Uchiza, attended by the President of the Republic, the Minister of Defense Gen. Enrique López …
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Creation of the Comando Político Militar del Huallaga
In 1989, during the presidency of Alan García, the Comando Político Militar del Huallaga was established as part of a strategy to combat subversive activities and narcotics trafficking in the region. This initiative included the installation of military bases and a shift in focus from persecuting coca farmers to targeting …
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Vladimiro Montesinos' Return and Intelligence Operations in the Huallaga Front
In 1989, Vladimiro Montesinos, a former army captain previously expelled for misconduct, re-entered the military sphere through intelligence operations in the Huallaga Front. The strategy focused on identifying local subversive leaders and gaining the support of the local population in the major coca-growing region. This approach led to controversial alliances …
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Lodging of PCP-SL fighters in Colombian drug trafficker's house in Nuevo Chilia
In 1988, a remarkable event occurred in the hamlet of Nuevo Chilia that demonstrated the relationship between the PCP-SL and drug traffickers. Instead of staying in the house of a peasant farmer as was their usual practice, a group of PCP-SL fighters stayed in the house of a Colombian drug …
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Huallaga Regional Committee Campaign
Document of the Huallaga Regional Committee on the military campaign from December 1987 to February 1988. It shows the structure of the People's Guerrilla Army in the region with Main Force (83 troops), Local Force (239) and Base Force (21,170). The document details the available armament including FAL, HK, AKM, …
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Army attack in Paraíso
On October 15, 1987, the Army carried out an operation with helicopter gunships against the town of Paraíso, the headquarters of drug traffickers in the Huallaga area. The attack allegedly originated in a request for help from a drug trafficker nicknamed 'Machi', who was attacked in his refuge by the …
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Expansion of committee organization on the left bank of the Huallaga River
In mid-1987, the PCP-SL expanded the organization of the committees on the left bank of the Huallaga River, diversifying the chain and responsibilities of the Party representatives. The committee no longer depended on one delegate but on five representatives, of which three were principal: political command, military command and logistical …
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Attack on Uchiza police post
On May 31, 1987, a detachment of approximately 200 PCP-Sendero Luminoso subversives attacked the Uchiza police post. The attack resulted in the death of six policemen. This was the second attempt to take the town of Uchiza, after a first failed attack in August 1986 when the population confronted the …
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Taking of Tocache
In March 1987, the Shining Path PCP took the town of Tocache as part of its territorial control strategy in the Huallaga basin. This action took place in the context of subversive domination of the area, where the PCP-SL had established open Popular Committees and maintained a complex relationship with …
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Enfrentamiento entre el PCP-SL y el MRTA en la Cuenca del Huallaga
In 1987, a sustained conflict emerged between the PCP-SL and the MRTA in the Huallaga River basin. The territory was pragmatically divided, with the Alto Huallaga becoming a stronghold for the PCP-SL, while the Huallaga Central and Bajo Huallaga were controlled by the MRTA. Both groups engaged with local drug …
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Declaration of a State of Emergency and entry of the army into the Huallaga region
In 1984, a State of Emergency was declared and the army entered the upper Huallaga jungle. This measure was taken in the context of growing violence related to drug trafficking and the presence of subversive groups. The militarization of the area marked a change in the State's security strategy, although …
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PCP-SL Attacks in Peru
In 1984, the Communist Party of Peru - Shining Path (PCP-SL) intensified its activities across Peru, including systematic efforts to penetrate and influence native communities in the central jungle. Notable incidents included the burning of the Franciscan Mission in Cutivireni and multiple attacks in the Huallaga basin, resulting in numerous …
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PCP-SL attacks on Aucayacu
In 1984, the PCP-SL took the town of Aucayacu twice, attacking the police post with a death toll of twenty. These attacks were part of the Shining Path expansion in the Huallaga basin, where violent actions had begun in 1983.
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Death of worker and student in Huallaga
In the Huallaga basin, in the jungle, the spiral of violence began in these years and continued uninterruptedly until the second half of the 1990s with a death toll of several thousand people. The violent actions began in 1983 with the death of a Ministry of Agriculture worker and a …
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First Armed Action of PCP-SL in Huallaga
The first armed action of the PCP-SL in the Huallaga region was an attack on the forestry police post in Pucayacu in 1982. This event is linked to the early activities of the PCP-SL in the Gocen-Nueva Esperanza area, which is considered one of the first strongholds of the group. …
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First Armed Action of PCP-SL in the Huallaga
The first armed action of the Communist Party of Peru - Shining Path (PCP-SL) in the Huallaga region occurred in 1982 with an attack on the Police Forestry post in Pucayacu. This event marked the beginning of PCP-SL's active presence in the region, which was characterized by a complex interplay …
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PCP-SL advance groups visit communities in the Huallaga region
In early 1982, advance groups of the PCP-SL began visiting communities along the left bank of the Huallaga River from Venenillo to La Morada and Huamuco. These groups would gather the villagers, tout their politics and announce the new rules that the villagers would have to abide by if they …