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Captain Saavedra, Ensign Joiro Velásquez and two other officers disabled due to subversive attacks
Captain Saavedra, Second Lieutenant Joiro Velásquez, and two other police officers disabled as a result of subversive attacks, in an article published in Caretas on November 4, 1991. Over the 20 years of violence, 1,436 police casualties were recorded, including both deaths and injuries. With the aim of seizing local authority, the subversive strategy destroyed the sparse presence of the State in the most remote towns and the fragile connection of state services. Within this context, police forces were the first State organizations systematically attacked by Sendero Luminoso at the most unexpected moments. The subversives took advantage of the element of surprise and the general lack of protection for police forces.