Cholified Army: Reflections on the Opening of the Peruvian Army to Popular Sectors
This essay addresses the social democratization of the Peruvian army officer corps. I argue that unlike the other military institutions in the country, the army is the military corporation that has a significant "cholo" officer class — that is, of popular, migrant, and Andean origin. This is a process that has gone hand in hand with the Andeanization of urban areas in Peru, the inclusive discourse developed during the first phase of General Velasco's government (1968–1975), and the events that took place during the years of the internal armed conflict (1980–2000).