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María Elena Moyano during a public event
María Elena Moyano at a public event in February 1992. The deputy mayor of Villa El Salvador and president of that district's Federación Popular de Mujeres had the courage to confront Sendero Luminoso by publicly denouncing the subversives' maneuvers to control local social organizations. She thus defended her community's right to fight for social improvements within a framework of democracy and freedom. On February 14, 1992, Sendero Luminoso called an armed strike. María Elena Moyano, together with other leaders from Villa El Salvador, called a rally in defiance of it. On February 15, a Shining Path assassination squad shot her at a social gathering and dynamited her body.