Peru. Beyond the Hostage-Taking

The Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac Amaru (MRTA) commando that stormed the residence of the Japanese ambassador on December 17, 1996, took completely by surprise not only the hundreds of guests celebrating Emperor Akihito's birthday, but all of Peru. Who were the attackers of the Japanese ambassador's residence? While their immediate antecedents are found in the years of the Peruvian democratic transition (1978-80), the origins of the MRTA go back to the MIR guerrillas, of pro-Cuban inspiration, in 1965. What will be the impact of the MRTA's bold strike on the government and on the country in general? It depends, of course, on the final outcome of the current crisis, which at the time of writing these lines is still ongoing.