Formal constitution of DECAS of the Apurimac River Valley in Pichiwillca
Formal constitution of DECAS of the Apurimac valley in Pichiwillca under the leadership of Antonio Cardenas.
The arrival of the Montoneros to Pichiwillca in April or May 1984 marked a milestone in peasant organization. On June 21, 1984, the Anti-Subversive Civil Defense (DECAS) of the Apurimac River Valley was formally constituted. From Pichiwillca, led by 19-year-old Antonio Cárdenas, the organization began to expand throughout the valley. The DECAS were the first peasant militia to form a network of organizations that covered an entire region. By mid-1985, the PCP-SL was in full retreat and the FFAA and DECAS had gained control of the valley.