The internal armed conflict takes on a national character
Between 1986 and 1988, the Peruvian internal armed conflict expanded from its epicenter in Ayacucho to other regions of the country, acquiring a national character. This expansion marked a new phase of the conflict with the incorporation of new regional scenarios, especially in the central region of the country.
From 1986-1988, the internal armed conflict in Peru took on a relatively more national character, expanding beyond the department of Ayacucho where it had been practically confined between 1982 and 1985. This period marked a new phase of the conflict characterized by the expansion of the actions of the PCP-Sendero Luminoso into new regional scenarios. Between 1989 and 1991, the central region, especially the department of Junin, became another of the main scenarios of the conflict. This geographical expansion coincided with the "leap to strategic balance" undertaken by the PCP-SL and a refinement of the State's counter-subversive strategy.