Intellectuals and peasants. Sendero Luminoso in Ayacucho, Perú

Many peruvians conceive of the Senderistas as a group of fanatics, blindly dedicated to Gonzalo´s ideology and program. The armed forces have never understood the movement’s power and appeal. One “expert” senderologist compared the Maoist fanaticism of the Senderista to the zeal of the revolutionary guards in Khomeini’s Iran. Yet this comparison contributes little to an analysis of the basic conditions in Ayacucho that made possible the emergence of SL. Guzman has inspired the youth of Ayacucho to dream of a more justice nation, a comunista utopia. The senderista understands that his generation may not realize the new comunista state, but- through his actinios- the movement will come closer to its goals. The tendency to dismiss Guzmán´s disciples as extremist fanatics items in part from the inability to grasp how the Senderistas can act so “immorally”. By demanding unquestioned dedication to the movement, Guzman replaces the conventional morality of right versus wrong, The Senderista is freed from standard conceptions of morality. The Party takes responsibility for the guerrilla’s deeds.