Peru: Time of FearSince 1980, Peru has been the scene of an escalating civil war. On the one hand, the Sendero Luminoso ("Shining Path") maoists determined to destroy existing society. On the other, the Peruvian military, acknowledged as South America's worst human rights violators. Caught in the middle, and dying in their thousands each year, are the poor peasants and slum-dwellers of Peru. Victims also of a collapsing economy and radical austerity programme, the great majority of Peruvians are living a time of fear. This work looks at the astonishing success of Sendero Luminoso, examines the party's bizarre ideology and describes how its violence reaches every corner of Peruvian society. It also explains why "non-politician" President Fujimori has assumed dictatorial powers in a deal with the military |
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Abimael Guzmán agrarian Alan García Andean Initiative anti-narcotics APRA APRA's Aprista armed strikes armed struggle authoritarian Ayacucho banks Belaúnde Belaúnde's Boloña bombings Cambio 90 campaign candidates capital Carlos cent central highlands Central Huallaga coca leaf coca-producing cocaine Colombian committees Communist Party Congress coup Cusco defence democratic drug economic elections electoral enterprises eradication foreign FREDEMO Fujimori Gonzalo guerrilla Guzmán Haya Huallaga Valley human rights important industrial killed labour Latin American leaders Left left-wing Lima Lima's Mariátegui Montesinos movement MRTA municipal narcotics neighbourhoods neo-liberal party's PCP-SL peasant communities Peasant Federation people's Peru Peru's Peruvian Communist Party Peruvian military police political popular organisations population president prison programme pueblos jóvenes Puno reforms regional Revolutionary San Martín sector Senderistas Sendero Luminoso social strategy traditional union Upper Huallaga Vargas Llosa Velasco's Villa El Salvador violence wage war on drugs workers