Population reduction in Bellavista
The population of the hamlet of Bellavista on the Aguaytia River was reduced to less than half of its 1990 population as a result of repeated Army bombings and violence by the PCP-SL. The hamlet was bombed up to 3 times for being a strategic Popular Open Committee and drug production zone.
Bellavista was a hamlet that functioned as a PCP-SL Open Popular Committee and a drug production zone on the Aguaytia River. Due to its importance and strategic location, the Army bombed Bellavista up to 3 times using helicopter gunships, followed by ground patrols that burned the houses that survived the attacks. Despite these bombings, the Shining Path commanders fled during the attacks and later returned to reorganize the hamlet. As a result of both PCP-SL violence and army repression, in the years following the violence, Bellavista's population was reduced to less than half of what it was in 1990.