The week in Peru

Former candidate for the Peruvian presidency, Lourdes Flores, has criticised proposed legislation dealing with negacionismo, i.e. the denial or playing down of terrorism. In a radio interview, she said she did not think the law would be effective and that it would restrict freedom of expression. If passed, the law could lead to jail sentences for those minimising Peru’s internal conflict and in particular the violent acts committed by the Shining Path. This is the latest in a chorus of voices doubting the wisdom of the legislation.

Flores Criticizes Legislation To Criminalize Downplaying Terrorism (Peruvian Times)

Two contrasting tendencies can be observed during Peru’s recent commemorative activities. One of them is the attempts by fujimoristas to discredit the country’s truth commission report. One manifestation of this is claims that “Comrade William”, the Shining Path leader recently killed in the VRAEM, featured on a list of missing persons compiled by the CVR. The government counters that this was not the case, and also that “William” was originally incorrectly identified as Rolando Cabezas. But Fujimori supporters will seize on any shred of doubt to undermine the report as it deals extensively with the incidents for which Alberto Fujimori was jailed (Barrios Altos, La Cantuta and the abductions of Samuel Dyer and Gustavo Gorriti). Ex-head of the CVR, Salomon Lerner Febres, has rebuffed the criticism and called demands for the report to be revised “short-sighted”.

“I would ask how many of those asking for the review of the [report] have read the report by the commission?” Lerner Febres said. “No one from the commission pretended to have the absolute truth, we said that from the beginning,” he added. “If one would take the time to read it, it is an open truth, perfectible, where there could be some things that have to be further sharpened, but the broader question is a moral truth.”

FormerTruth Commission Head Defends Final Report On Peru’s Internal Conflict (Peruvian Times)

By contrast, the 20^th anniversary of the capture of Abimael Guzmán seems to have been the focus for a general effort to rehabilitate the members of the GEIN involved in the operation. It has long been generally accepted that instead of heaping rewards on the police intelligence unit following their spectacular arrest, Fujimori quickly split up the team and attempted to brush their role under the carpet. Now, some of the members are to support counter-terrorism activities in the VRAEM.

Ex-Membersof Police Intelligence Unit to Work On Shining Path Remnants (Peruvian Times)

Ex agentes delGEIN reforzarán inteligencia para acabar con SL (La Republica)

La Republica has also done a couple of rather nice "Where are they now?" type stories about the members of the GEIN. Of course, the fact that two of them fell in love while staking out Guzmán's house is good for the human interest angle.

¿Qué pasó con los cazadores? (La Republica)
La historia secreta de ‘Ardilla’ y ‘Gaviota’; los primeros agentes del GEIN que capturaron a Abimael (La Republica)

Peru in the news

It's approaching the 20th anniversary of the capture of Abimael Guzman AKA Presidente Gonzalo, supreme leader of the Shining Path.

The Economist has spoken to his partner, Elena Iparraguirre, who "remains a dogmatic communist, but [...] accepts that the Shining Path was defeated militarily". The magazine explains the origins of MOVADEF and quotes Iparraguirre as saying that she "does not know" who the Shining Path remnants in the VRAEM are. Other than that, it's not really an interview, despite calling itself that, as we get very little of Iparraguirre's views.


Still smouldering (The Economist)

No word on if Iparraguirre knows him, but Peru has killed another Shining Path rebel, going by the alias Comrade Williams. President Ollanta Humala announced on Wednesday that he had been killed by security forces. Prime minister Juan Jiménez has denied media reports that Williams, whose real name is apparently Rolando Cabezas,was listed among the victims of the internal conflict (this is a point of contention in Peru).

Peru Shining Path rebel Comrade Williams killed (BBC)
Alto mando de Sendero Luminoso murió tras operación de fuerzas combinadas en Vraem (El Comercio)
Cabinet Chief: Killed Shining Path Leader Not On List Of Terrorism Victims (Peruvian Times)

Peru: Military offensive in the VRAE

Peruvian president Ollanta Humala has launched an all-out offensive to eradicate the remnants of Shining Path in the VRAE region. The move comes after a number of major developments recently - the capture of a couple of senderista leaders and the kidnapping and release of a group of construction workers. Even though the hostages were released, several police officers involved in the operation are missing.

Defence minister Alberto Otarol said that the security forces would wage "a fight without quarter and with no turning back" against the terrorists.

Peru in All-Out Push to Eliminate Rebel Remnants, Minister Says (LAHT)

Gobierno prepara gran ofensiva militar contra Sendero Luminoso en el Vrae (La Republica)

Peru: Mass graves reported

Peruvian media is reporting that a group of indigenous people has travelled to Lima to report the existence of mass graves in Ayacucho. They were referring to around 14 graves containing about 100 bodies, assumed to be victims of the Peruvian conflict of the 1980s. These are located in the district of Ayahuanco.

Congressman Alberto Beingolea, who heads the justice and human rights commission, said that the indigenous people wanted justice and the right to give the dead a dignified burial. It will now be up to the public prosecution service in Ayacucho to open investigations into the case(s).

When thinking about this story, I'm struck by the casual horror of the photo used in La Republica, of people just kneeling beside a heap of bones and skulls. On the other hand, I think it's positive that people now feel able to report such findings to the authorities and demand action - local people are generally well aware of the location of such graves but for many years were too afraid to speak up about them.

Denuncian hallazgo de 14 fosas comunes en Ayacucho (RPP)
Campesinos denuncian haber hallado 14 fosas comunes en zona del VRAE (El Comercio)
Revelan existencia de 14 fosas con más de 100 cuerpos en Ayacucho (La Republica)

Peru Round-Up

Alleged Shining Path terrorist is captured in Huanaco, Peru (Living in Peru)

Fujimorismo Candidates Allegedly Tied to Drug Trade (IPS)

Authorities investigate 18 police officers in VRAE (Peruvian Times)

Peruvian prosecutor charges owner of award-winning radio station with broadcast piracy (Journalism in the Americas)

Peru: News Round-Up

Peru Wages 'Slanderous Campaign' Against Inter-American Court (IPS)

Peru Purchases 8 Helicopters from Russia for Use in the VRAE (Peruvian Times)

No Reparations Yet for Families of Civil War Victims (IPS)

President Admits Corruption Has Tarnished Government (IPS)

Families of Victims of Biggest Shining Path Massacre Seek Justice (IPS)

News Round-Up

Argentina
Unrepentant "Blond Angel" 18 Others from the ESMA Stand Trial (truthout)

Mexico
Rights court condemns Mexico in 'dirty war' case (AP)

Peru
Cocaine and rebels haunt Peru's remote jungle (Reuters)

Resources and Reading

A couple of articles and good web sites to pass on:

- An interview with British-Argentine journalist Andrew Graham-Yooll, author of A State of Fear and many other books

- El VRAE: Alan Garcia's Failed Domestic Policy (COHA)

- From Colombia, Verdad Abierta looks at issues of paramilitaries and the armed conflict

- On El Salvador, Stories of War and Hope (thanks to Tim for pointing this out)

Peru: Two Soldiers Injured by Sendero

Two members of the military have been shot in an altercation with Shining Path in the VRAE, Junin province. The men have been named as Rusbel Andrade Mozombite and Juan Daniel Tapullima Salas.

Dos militares heridos en presunto ataque de Sendero Luminoso (La Republica)
Dos soldados heridos deja ataque narcoterrorista en el VRAE (El Comercio)

Peru: Terrorist Attack on Base

Three policemen and two civilians are dead after an attack in the VRAE, presumably by Shining Path remnants. According to witnesses, around 60 terrorists attacked the police base.

The victims have been named as Carloto Soto Giuseppi, Javier Fernández Guevara, Prudencio Laurico Mamani, Meylin Tineo Acero and Milagros Acero. The two women who died were apparently relatives of Soto Giuseppi who happened to be in the station at the time. Minister Octavio Salazar has called on Peruvians to "close ranks" against terrorism.

Narco-terrorist group attacks police base in Peru causing 5 deaths (Living in Peru)
Peruvian rebels suspected in attach that kills 5 (AP)
Octavio Salazar pidio a todos los peruanos a "cerrar filas" contra el narcoterrorismo (La Republica)
"Si no los haciamos retroceder, moriamos (La Republica)
El enfrentamiento entre terroristas y policias habria durado una hora (El Comercio)
Atentado narcoterrorista deja cinco muertes en Ayacucho (La Republica)
Por lo menos 50 terroristas atacaron sede policial del poblado de San Jose de Secce (El Comercio)

Peru News

Here we go again with the next Fujimori trial! Fujimori on Trial will be doing its usual excellent work covering it; this one won't be such a marathon.

Fujimori's New Trial Started Today (Living in Peru)

Fujimori Admits Illegal Payment to Spy Chief (IPS)

Photos of the VRAE:

'Rivers of coca' by Moises Saman

Amnesty International representatives are visiting Bagua this week:

Amnistia Internacional llegara a Bagua (CNDDHH)

This week marks 17 years since the notorious La Cantuta massacre, and commemorative activites will be taking place.

La Cantuta: recuerdos y lecciones (CNDDHH)

Peru News

Here's a round-up of the Spanish-language news from Peru.

Human rights organisation APRODEH is claiming that there is at least 61 disappearances arising from the events of the past week at Bagua. According to lawyer Juan José Quispe, these people are not included in the official list of the dead or wounded. I'm sure publicising this is going to make APRODEH even more popular with the authorities - let's hope all their paperwork is in order.

Al menos 61 personas estan desaparecidos, informa APRODEH (La Republica)

The government has closed down a radio station, La Voz de la Selva, which was reporting on events at Bagua in a manner critical of the state. Both its director and Peru's journalists' association, have condemned the action as politically-motivated - which let's face it, it blatantly is, no matter what the official excuse is.

Gobierno cancela licencia a Radio La Voz de Bagua (La Republica)

Indigenous members of parliament have been suspended for protesting recent events in the Congress building.

Parliamentarios nacionalistas sancionados no ofreceran disculpas (La Republica)

Alan Garcia has claimed that the police officers involved in the violence in Bagua were victims of "genocide" (a genocide of the police - what on earth does that even mean?!) committed by those who want to hand over Peru to foreign governments. These are the words of a politician who sees a crisis as a good opportunity to seize more power.

Alan Garcia afirma que existio un "genocidio de policias" en Bagua (El Comercio)

*Update* - Also, I'd like to draw attention to this slide show from Caretas showing images of the dead police offers (warning: very strong content, particularly for those of us not used to media showing close-up images of dead bodies - despite the strange use of black boxes to censor some areas which have appearently been deemed unsuitable).

Finally, and on a slightly different topic, 8 Shining Path camps have apparently been destroyed by the armed forces.

Ocho campamentos de Sendero Luminoso fueron destruidos por fuerzas combinadas en el VRAE (El Comercio)