The Peasant Self-Defense Patrol in a Peasant Community in Northern Peru: La Toma in Cajamarca
This article analyzes the rondas campesinas as self-defense institutions created by highland communities in Peru. The case study focuses on the rondas of the community of La Toma, Cajamarca, in the northern highlands of Peru. The rondas campesinas were created during the 1970s to prevent attacks on communal property both from the State and from landowners. In addition, the rondas campesinas served as a powerful organization during the internal conflict against Sendero Luminoso from 1980 through the early 1990s. In these processes, the rondas of La Toma proved to be a truly representative institution of their community's rights, and this is the hypothesis the article seeks to demonstrate.