Detention of Constantino Saavedra, peasant farmer leader
Detention and torture of peasant leader unjustly accused of terrorism
On July 2, 1987, Constantino Saavedra, a member of the Peruvian Peasant Confederation and leader of the Departmental Agrarian Federation of Ayacucho, was arrested in the province of Huamanga. He was tortured by members of the Civil Guard and later released. His detention exemplifies how participation in marches, union protests and social demands gave rise to arrests that resulted in unjust charges of terrorism.