The Voltage of Fear. Savage Military Operation Against Peasants and Settlers of Chanchamayo and Oxapampa, Unjustly Accused of Terrorism

The languid jungle heat, the sticky fragrance of fruit trees, and the hum of mosquitoes gave no hint of the dreadful ordeal being lived by the residents of the provinces of Chanchamayo and Oxapampa. This silent fear of a population caught between fury and terror at military excesses spilled out before a Human Rights commission that visited the area last week to investigate allegations of torture and the detention of 38 peasants from the villages of Eñeñaz, Yurinaki, and Alto Chincarmaz. In 1988, the terror of Sendero Luminoso established its grip in this region but was expelled by the terror of the MRTA. The Army then cleared the area, established a military base in Pichanaki, and registered the local inhabitants, imposing strict control over their activities and movements. Published April 10, 1997.