Murder of Elías Corcuera
Elías Corcuera, union leader of Izquierda Unida, was assassinated by the PCP-Sendero Luminoso in San Martín de Porres in 1989. His death was part of the Shining Path's strategy of eliminating leftist leaders who hindered their control of popular organizations.
Elías Corcuera was a union leader of the United Left (IU) assassinated by the PCP-Sendero Luminoso in San Martín de Porres during 1989. His assassination took place in the context of a Shining Path strategy of shifting from sabotage to selective assassinations, moving from infiltration of union and neighborhood organizations to greater pressure to take over the leadership. The Shining Path not only attacked leaders of the governing party (APRA), but also leftist leaders who represented obstacles to their control of popular organizations. Corcuera's assassination was part of a series of attacks against IU leaders in the Northern Zone of Lima.