MRTA coexistence with drug trafficking in San Martin
Since the late 1990s, the MRTA established a coexistence with drug traffickers in San Martin, which was one of the factors that led to its collapse and the loss of support from the local population. This alliance added to the abuse of quotas and criminal practices of its militia members.
Between 1990 and 1992, the MRTA lost support from the local population due to the abuse of the quotas they used to extort money from the few remaining businessmen in the region and, in general, to the criminal practices that many of their hastily recruited militia members had engaged in. Another factor that led to the MRTA debacle was its coexistence with drug trafficking since the late 1990s. This alliance with drug trafficking contributed significantly to the deterioration of MRTA's image and popular support in the department of San Martin. The coexistence with drug trafficking took place in a context where the MRTA had already lost its political support organizations (UDP and FEDIP-SM) and maintained only two military detachments of the Northeastern Front.