The Shining Path is a Peruvian narco terrorist group that
peaked in power in the 1990s. In fact, the term “narco terrorism” was coined
in 1982 by the President of Peru, Fernando Belaunde Terry, in reference to this
group’s activities. The Shining Path funded most of its operations from drug
trafficking and extorting “protection” money drug traffickers in Peru.
Peru remains as one of the top cocaine-producing nations in
the world and much of it is concentrated in an area known as the VRAEM, the
valley of three rivers Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro. The remaining 300 or so
members of the Shining Path maintain a stronghold in this region.
It’s estimated that this communist rebel group killed as
many 11,000 civilians. Fortunately, the Shining Path has dwindled in numbers
and power, which resulted in far less bloodshed. Only three deaths were
attributed to this group in 2015.
However, there seems to be a mini-resurgence of violence
committed the Shining Path or successors groups. Two weeks ago, Peruvian
terrorists conducted an attack
against Peruvian military in VRAEM region that injured six soldiers. Four days
earlier they ambushed and killed four police officers.
According to Peru’s newspaper, El
Comercio, these attacks were attributed to a successor group of the
Shining Path. This group had been known as the Militarized Communist Party of
Peru (PCP). However, the group’s new name is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Peru (FARP). It expresses a clear solidarity with the Colombian narco-terrorist
group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia).
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| A Shining Path propaganda poster |
We don’t know what will become of the FARP, which is led by a
former Shining Path rebel, Victor Quispe Palomino aka Comrade Jose. However, to
be fair, the FARC is transitioning to a political party with the same acronym,
FARC (The Common Alternative Revolutionary Force). Unfortunately, the newly-elected
Colombian President, Ivan Duque, has promised to renege on the 2016 Peace
Agreement.
