Политология/2. Политическая конфликтология

PhD in Political Science Polyakov E.M.

Voronezh State University, Russia

Radical leftist movements in Peru: terrorism against the State

Millenarianism and terrorism: the cause and the consequence. Latin America is known for its not only theoretical but also practical contribution to the “left project”. Unfortunately, this contribution is mainly a failure. Moreover, most attempts made have ended a political failure and economic disaster. However, the demand for socialism in the region remains strong. At the end of XX - beginning of XXI century “real socialism” presented populism and terrorism. We will focus on the second. If you look at a map, you can see that the radical leftist movement emerged and received substantive support in the Andean region another parts of Latin America almost never encountered this phenomenon. On the other hand, the political geography of the “Leftists” indicates that they were not so popular in the industrial centers as among the peasantry and the urban intellectuals. That is, rather, they were like the Bolsheviks. Until now the high mountain of the Andes in 70-90 years, and adjacent areas, is the “patrimony” of left movements, practiced “Red Terror”.

It is known that in the past millenarian movements was used violence and indiscriminate properties have failed. In the late twentieth century, they have moved to the use of targeted violence, usually carried out by terrorist acts against officials. Moreover, the violence (as judged by the number of deaths), was redirected inside organizations - the object of terror became adherents environment movement, and those who have not been admitted because of lack of loyalty. Radical leftist movement experienced a similar evolution, consistently passes through three stages: emergence - slow development - a sudden burst of activity. This way passed “Shining Path”, Left Revolutionary Movement (MIR) and the Tupaq Amaru Revolutionary Movement. Hence, the reason for the left-radical terrorism is not an ideology, which covers a particular millenarian movement, but the effectiveness of terror.

“Shining Path”. The first movement, which we consider is the Partido Comunista del Perú en el Sendero Luminoso de José Carlos Mariátegui. The senderos have deep roots (the so-called “peasant movement Tawantinsuyu”), and the predecessor organization was marginal, did not play a significant role in politics, and did not use violence [1, 26]. However, in about 15 years of active terrorist activities (1978-1992), “senderos” exterminated about 66,000 people. The movement's leader, Abimael Guzmán Reynoso, many borrowed from the practice of the Cultural Revolution in China and the movement of “Khmer Rouge”.

Within a few years into the struggle, senderos launched a campaign of mass terror. For 1980-1983 they spent hundreds of terrorist attacks, which killed more than 1,500 people. Since 1981, a year after the actual war with the government, terrorists began killing peasants, who do not support their struggle, as well as mail carriers, judges, officials, small traders - in short, all the “exploiters” [3, 3]. Typical was involvement of relatives, most often, sons and fathers. Many witnesses stated that such a "family contract" promote strong cohesion series movement. Young members of “Shining Path” preferred to die than to give authorities information about his accomplices in exchange for medical assistance. In this attack senderos were not limited to the area Ayacucho or certain people - the attacks were organized in the department of Ancash, Lima, Villa El Salvador and against the infrastructure, in particular - the power lines, polling stations, trade fairs, etc. [3, 209-216.]

MIR. This movement began even before “Shining Path”, in 1962, immediately deploying armed struggle. Its leader, Louis de la Puente Fellipe Ucheda outlined his views in his book "The Peruvian Revolution" [4, 12-28]. The movement was poorly organized, and its ideology was eclectic. As a result, it began factional fighting, which, after the death of the founder, the MIR v1965 led to a split in the organization into three parts. Two of them later joined the legal political struggle and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary elections, and the third - MIR El Militante de facto became illegal activities and has gradually evolved in a radical direction.

Curiously, split into three "daughter" of the organization coincided with the division, which was in the very structure of MIR. Organizations to share responsibility for different areas of Peru between the three "units" or "front", has been called by the names of leaders of Indian resistance to the Spaniards and the rulers of the Inca: Manco Capac at Sevres, in the south of Pachacutec and Tupaq Amaru in the center of the country. It is the latter structure and created a radical MIR-EM, which, by 1980, the year created a Left alliance with other small parties, and in 1982, reaching a coalition agreement with the Socialist Revolutionary Party, established the Revolutionary Movement Tupaq Amaru name.

MRTA. The impetus for its formation was the successes senderos. As well as "big brothers" they proclaim Peruvian revolution, which would then cover all of Latin America, and finally to the global nature. The ideological basis of the movement was the concept of the New Man E. Che Guevara, especially its moral and ethical aspect in the official almanac MRTA «Cambio» (№ 8, June 1989) published a proclamation recommending "all gays, drug addicts, thieves and prostitutes" to reconsider its life [6]. Sensing a lack of adherents, MRTA has gone on for such unusual movement’s step - the union's political and terrorist activity, expressed in a particular political training for all fighters. Later, in 1984, it merged with another fragment of the Left Revolutionary Movement - MIR - Voz Rebelde.

Certain turning point came after the presidential election in 1985, won by the leftist candidate movement announced the “cease-fire with the government”. This caused discontent among the masses, and the outcome of many activists in Sendero Luminoso. However, less than a year of struggle was continued, and this time has been moved from the countryside to the cities (Lima, Cusco, Chiclayo and Chimbote) [7], and there were bombings, robberies and “national distribution”: distribution of essential goods. The second half of the eighties and early nineties were marked by “blowback” of the state: government dispatched army to fight against the rebels. However, this has not led to the desired result. Although the activity of radicals has been limited, the total number of attacks in 1989 exceeded 1000 [7, 72], and from 1989 to 1992 - 1900 [7, 103].

Only with the arrest of MRTA leader Victor Campos and Nestor Serpa the Fujimori’s government could stop the violence and stabilize the situation. We note that a similar situation occurred with the MIR and “Shining Path (after arrest Abimael Guzman, their leader, senderos sharply reduced activity). In addition, the Peruvian leftist guerrilla organization combines a number of features: anti-state activities, organizational structure, disregard for human rights, a way to mobilize supporters, the nature of violence is used, the interaction with the population [8, 264-270]. We can say that all the above considered movements used the same methods in the struggle against the state: terror, indoctrination of citizens and vertically integrated structure.

References:

1. Gorriti, Gustavo. 'The Quota', in Orin Starn, Carlos Iván De Gregori and Robin Kirk (eds.), The Peru Reader: History, Culture and Politics, Durham: Duke University Press, 1995.

2. Masterson, Daniel M. The Devolution of Peru's Sendero Luminoso: From Hybrid Maoists to Narco-Traffickers? // History Compass, 2010, 8/1.

3. Masterson, Daniel M. Militarism and Politics in Latin America: Peru from Sa 'nchez Cerro to Sendero Luminoso, Westport, CT, 1991.

4. The Peruvian Revolution: Concepts and Perspectives, Monthly Review, 1965, vol. 17, No. 6.

5. See: The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Volume 2, Chapter 1 (in Spanish) Los inicios de la denominada «guerra popular» del PCP-SL, pp.29-41. (Http://www.cverdad.org.pe/ifinal/index.php)

6. Gordon, H. McCormick: From the Sierra to the Cities. Rind's National Defense Research Institute. Santa Monica, 1992.

7. The final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Vol. 2, Chapter 1 La expansion del conflicto armado (http://www.cverdad.org.pe/ifinal/index.php)

8. Polyakov E.M. From nationalism to terrorism: the path of radical movements in different parts of the world // Scientific Statement BSU. Series: History. Political science. Economy. Informatics. 2012. - No.22. - №7