War in Paradise

Today, despite a pseudo-democracy, Peru continues to be dominated by a sociopolitical elite strongly tied to North American investors and interests. The vast majority of Peruvians descend from those who were enslaved by the Spanish and, although free, continue in a servitude caused by extreme poverty. That was the fertile ground where Guzmán's malign philosophy took root and grew. In 1978, Guzmán emerged from clandestinity as the leader of Sendero Luminoso, a faction of the Partido Comunista Peruano, founded by José Carlos Mariátegui. The terrorist group unleashed a people's war with the aim of undermining the structure of society and building a new order. The movement grew in the five departments that make up the mountainous southern spine of Peru. The Ene River valley, with its difficult topography, offered a convenient refuge. In that remote region, the terrorists and drug traffickers signed a malevolent pact: the terrorists provided protection; the drug traffickers provided money. They shared a network of informants who infiltrated military, educational, social and political institutions. (Excerpt from the preface).