Cayara: No Bodies Left

This document describes the controversy surrounding the killings that occurred in or around Cayara on May 14 and the student protests in response to those killings. According to the military, 16 guerrillas were killed in a firefight with government forces in or near Cayara. Other sources, including the Special Prosecutor of Ayacucho, Carlos Escobar, assert that soldiers killed at least 38 civilians and then removed the bodies. The army has prevented the press, the ICRC, and other Peruvian human rights groups from accessing the area. Although there is currently no definitive answer to this controversy since the victims' bodies have not yet been found, the cable implies that Embassy officials are skeptical of the army's position, given the large number of casualties and the lack of military losses.