Shining Path, Are You There?
At dawn on May 1, Cerro Puruchuco in La Molina looked like a battlefield. A helicopter was circling overhead and several police patrol cars were clustered on the hillsides. Guards at the headquarters of the Banco de Crédito spotted an enormous flagpole erected at the top of the hill, from which flew a huge red flag, four meters long by two meters wide. Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (Udex) were the first to climb up to take down the red banner. Sub-officer César Flores Pantoja — six years in the Udex — who was leading the group, stepped on an explosive trap left by the terrorists and suffered serious injuries all over his body. Published May 9, 1996.