Cayara: No Bodies Left

This document describes the controversy surrounding the killings that occurred in or around Cayara, on May 14th and the student demonstrations in response to these killings. According to the military, 16 guerillas died in a firefight with government forces in or near Cayara. Other sources, including the Ayacucho Special Prosecutor Carlos Escobar, claim that the military executed at least 30 villagers before removing their bodies from the scene. The military has denied the press, the ICRC, and other Peruvian human rights groups, access to the area. While there is currently no decisive answer to this controversy since the victim's bodies have yet to be found, the cable implies that embassy officials are skeptical of the army's position, due to the large number of victims and the lack of military casualties.