SENDERO LUMINOSO SHINING PATH BY Colleen Rojas Courtney Morris Amanda Watson Sarah Howard

Region The Shining Path originated in the Peruvian Andes Impoverished area Class-based discrimination

Name In Spanish they are called Sendero Luminoso Maoist guerrilla insurgents They preferred to be known as The Communist Party of Peru

Founder Abimael Guzman Early involvement with radical politics Mid seventies controlled many of the universities student council

Military Training Begins 1980 held several meetings Opened the first military school First attempt of guerilla warfare

Ignored by Peruvian Govt. They grew in both territory and number of militants Emergency Zone set up Attacks spread to outside of the countryside

Powerful Group They continued to grow Known as being ruthlessly violent Individual attack, killing 69

Female Terrorist Consist of 20% of their fighting force Considered an enemy if individual did not join Augusta La Torre married Guzman

Decline of Shining Path Guzman arrested in 1992 69 thousand dead Continuing attempts to control rural region

Beginning of Sendero Luminoso 1970 Guzman & followers expelled from BR for doctrinal heresy & occultism Established the true Communist Party of Peru -Shining Path, Sendero Luminoso Became personal director of a university in 1971 to establish a radical facility -recruit & indoctrinate students -recruit among Indian population, Ayachucho Mid 1970’s established local cells surrounding depts. Cusco, Apurimac, Huancavelica, & Junín

Beginning of SL con’t. Largest pool of non-Spanish speaking highland slum dwellers, large cities Spent years recruiting and preparing ultimate debut before turned to violence 1978, underground to by groundwork for final struggle for power May 1980, presidential election, attacks against polling places in Ayachucho

Communications with the Media No media coverage Only 2 short texts/ July 1981 & March 1982 Supplemented by trial testimony of captured Senderista -occasional communiqué, slogans Leadership refused to be interviewed -until September 1986, Guzman accepted an interview with ‘El Nuevo Diano’ -propaganda by deed, publicized by actions not words

Ideology

Guzman in Relation to Shining Path Guzman controls all, undisputed authority Autonomy does not extend to level or strategy Carefully cultivated image of omnipresence Photos; plain, overweight, and uninspired 4th sword of Marxism Isolated and aloof Presented in almost a religious manner – to appeal to local superstition and custom as well Highly individualized organization Charismatic leader Armed struggle was the only means to achieve victory

Basic Tenants Maoist beliefs Political agenda is based on Mao’s writings & deeds as reinterpreted by Comrade Gonzalo Sendero calls for the abolition of a national market economy, industry, the banking system, all foreign trade, the use of currency, and the establishment of a communal village-oriented economy based on barter exchange

What they want? Liberated Areas Liberated areas usually resemble the above measures ‘Liberated’ areas use the following plan; 1. Senderistas move into a village 2. They round up and slaughter local landowners & turn their holdings over to the peasantry in 2-hectore parcels 3. Trade is halted 4. The peasantry is made to plant agriculture for their own needs not cash 5. These actions are to help isolate the countryside from the city & end the capitalistic money obsession Sendero wants to create a state of workers & peasants

International Goals The revolution of Sendero must spread to all of South America and institute revolutions uniting all the Quechua speaking people into a socialist slate Guzman states violence is the only means to satisfy his goals of a united S.A. socialist state

Guzman’s Plan for the Oncoming Struggle Guzman has a plan for this struggle like the theory of guerrilla warfare by Mao Zedong, which consists of 3 stages: -Stage 1: agitation & propaganda – gain support of the countryside, gain followers, develop beginnings of a guerilla army, & lay ground work for the struggle -Stage 2: creation of select ‘liberated’ areas – widen control over rural areas, isolate the city from countryside, and bring struggle to the city through a dedicated urban support network -Stage 3: uprising of the countryside, collapse of urban society, & the destruction of the Lima regime. The destruction of the Lima regime comes from the urban support network

Structure The leader Abimael Guzman holds supreme power, authority, & control over the strategy of the entire organization Guzman cultivates a semi-omnipresent image to his followers, he is believed to possess a special vision & have supernatural qualities Guzman’s followers follow him unquestionably, comply with orders & directives without condition, and give him complete devotion Guzman operates through a National Directorate & Central Committee responsible for the movements operation

Structure con’t. The organization is split up into numerous regional commands, which jobs may include recruitment & the choosing of local targets. They work with a degree of tactical independence The many members are organized along cellular lines and draw subsistence from local sympathizers Notable leaders – Julio Mezich-number 2 man, Osman Barrionuevo-original (he’s still alive), Augusta La Torre-wife of Guzman. Most of the original leaders have been killed

Recruitment The largest pool of recruits come from the non-Spanish speaking peoples of the highlands and indian slum dwellers in major cities Students from the Huamanga University Indian populations of Ayachucho And other areas of Cusco, Apurimac, Huancavelica, and Junín

Attacks from the Shining Path Terrorist Group In 1980, Peru’s military government allowed for the first time elections in the country May 17th, 1980, they burned ballot boxes in the town of Chuschi, Ayachucho In the Andean hills, Shining Path got support from peasantry by beating and killing disliked people of the countryside In 1983, Shining Path took out several electrical transmission towers 1983, they set off several bombs in the offices of governing parties

Attacks con’t. April 1985 – Tried to assassinate Domingo Garcia Rada June 1985 – Again took out electrical transmission towers in Lima August 1991 – They killed one Italian and two Polish priests in the department of Ancash 1991 – Shining Path had control of most of the countryside south and in the center of Peru February 1992 – Assassinated Maria Elena Moyano June 1992 – Detonated a powerful bomb at Tarata Street in Lima

Attacks con’t. 2002 – Car bombing of the U.S. Embassy During their reign they also targeted other leaders of Leftist groups, local political parties, labor unions, and peasant organizations The state did not publicize the actions of the Shining Path because they believed that this group would just go away, but that turned out not to be the case

Future Their comeback concerning the attack of the U.S. Embassy Possible rebirth of the Shining Path if their leader’s convictions are overturned Shining Path would be able to survive in today’s world

References Griset, P., & Mahan, S. (2003). Terrorism in perspective. University of Central Florida at Dayton Beach: Sage Publications MIPT Terrorism knowledge base. Retrieved 2006 from http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=111 Raport, D. (2001). Inside terrorist organizations. London: Frank Cass Publishers Shining path biography. Retrieved 2006 from: http://sendero-luminoso.biography.ms/ Shining path. Retrieved 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_Path Shining path. (2006). Retrieved February 11, 2006, from: http://www.Answers.com/topic/shiningpath Shining path suspect in Peru blast. (2002). Retrieved February 11, 2006 from http://www.cbsnews.com Terrorist group profiles. (2005) Retrieved 2006 from: http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp/sendero.htm