File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1996/96-12-18.142, message 57


Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 22:26:54 -0500
From: Luis Quispe <lquispe-AT-blythe.org>
Subject: M-G: PERU 1996 : Maoist Rebels Hit Old State 


1996: HEROIC PEOPLE'S WAR ADVANCED VICTORIOUSLY

PEOPLE'S ARMY ADVANCES AND TAKES OVER TOWNS. During July 18 and 
19 a group of EPL mobile columns, applying the PCP's proletarian
military line, converged and took control of the Damaso, Beraun and
Chinchao districts in the provinces of Leoncio Prado and Huanuco. The
EPL forces entered the towns of Cayumba Chico, San Miguel, Chaupiyunca,
Paujil Pampa and adjacent villages. A similar deployment took place
during the week of July 14 in zones around Las Vegas near Tingo Maria
[El Comercio, July 23. 1996].

MORE WAVES OF PEOPLE'S WAR. A series of Maoist political-military
operations were deployed throughout Lima during the last week of July.
Red flags were hoisted in the districts of San Juan de Miraflores and
Canto Grande, and grenades were launched in the Santa Marina Sur area.
The headquarters of the National Police's Special Assault Division have
been destroyed. The Army and National Police were placed in maximum red
alert to conduct "pacification" campaigns; over 200 civilians were
arrested [La Republica, July 29, 1996].

PCP COMBATANTS DESTROY GENERAL'S HOME AND PROPERTY. On the evening of
July 29, another spectacular Maoist attack completely destroyed the
private car and luxurious residence of the political-military chief of
the Huallaga Front, Army General Manuel Guillermo Simon Varela Gamarra.
Over 18 people were seriously wounded and 49 residences were damaged in
the exclusive San Borja residential area. The house of Peru's Ambassador
to France, Maria Luisa Federici, was also largely destroyed. The bomb,
with 15 kilograms of pure dynamite, caused an spectacular explosion; the
blast was heard in Fujimori's presidential palace. A number of pamphlets
were found near the explosion site stating "genocidal drug dealing
militaries and policemen shall receive JUST PUNISHMENT". General Simon
Varela quickly left the Huallaga Front and arrived in Lima to inspect
his ruins and gather whatever leftovers he could find; during a short
interview he expressed serious concern for possible security flaws to
protect his mansion [El Comercio, El Sol, La Republica and most papers,
July 30, 1996].

LIMA. The editorial in the newspaper of Peru's oligarchy, El Comercio,
announces "The recent Maoist attacks in our nation's capital are clear
evidence that objectively we are before a new surge of Maoist
subversion" [El Comercio, July 30, 1996].

PEOPLE'S ARMY TAKES TOWNS IN THE NORTH. EPL mobile columns, led by the
PCP, took control of the towns of Sihuas and Chiquian (196 kilometers
>from the city of Huaraz). The Maoist forces conducted armed propaganda
and agitation; the local government representatives were asked to resign
[El Sol, August 4, 1996].

PCP OFFENSIVE IN THE HUALLAGA FRONT. The reactionary Army and National
Police mobilized their special forces in response to a recent Maoist
military offensive in Huanuco. Armored helicopters and river gun boats
supported the gigantic operation to capture various EPL columns
operating in the area [La Republica, August 5, 1996]. Note: See the
report from Caretas of August 9.

NEW WAVE OF PEOPLE'S WAR. NATIONAL POLICE IN RED ALERT. During the first
weeks of July the People's Army (EPL) led by the honest and respected
Communist Party of Peru (PCP) conducted multiple armed actions in the
North and South sectors of Peru's capital. The National Police supported
by special forces units and tanks carried out a general mobilization to
oppose the surge in Maoist political-military operations. In one
operation the businesswoman (exploiter) Graciela Schiafino, wife of the
Mayor in San Luis district and member of Fujimori's party Cambio 90, was
attacked but she managed to escape in her car. In another action, 30
sticks of dynamite were thrown to the house of Tomas Valdez, a "black
head" leading paramilitary death squads in Ate Vitarte. In the district
of Rimac a private health center was raided and large amounts of
medicines, medical equipment and electronic components were liberated
[La Republica, July 10. 1996].

PCP COMBATANTS DESTROY REACTIONARY SPECIAL FORCES HEADQUARTERS. In the
morning of July 26, at 2:20 am, a powerful car bomb with 27 kilograms of
explosives destroyed the headquarters and barracks of the National
Police's Special Assault Division (anti-riots corps). The surprise
attack also damaged various adjacent government buildings and private
offices in Lima's center. The four guards at the headquarters main
entrance were critically wounded. After a careful inspection, the Civil
Defense representative, Ramon Pinto, reported that 90% of the Assault
Division's facilities were destroyed or seriously damaged [La Republica
and most papers, July 27, 1996].

HUALLAGA. PEOPLE'S ARMY DEFEATS REACTIONARY ARMY. The counter-subversive
base at Aucayacu (Leoncio Prado province) has been dismantled and
abandoned after the retreat of the reactionary special forces from the
area. The People's Army of Liberation (EPL) led by the Communist Party
of Peru (PCP) has taken control of the province as a base for deploying
future political-military operations. Big landlords and their
collaborators escaped from the area and called for the reactionary
Army's return [La Republica and most papers, July 18, 1996].

PEOPLE'S ARMY CONTROLS TOWN AND MAIN HIGHWAY. Various mobile columns of
the People's Army (EPL) entered the town of Las Vegas (25 kilometers
>from Tingo Maria) and took control of the main highway to the city of
Pucallpa. The EPL deployed night military operations and during the
daytime conducted political agitation and propaganda in massive public
meetings [El Comercio, July 17, 1996].

LIMA. Three government buildings and a shopping center in the
Lima-Callao area were attacked with dynamite and grenades. The targets
were the headquarters of the Municipal Police and main Municipal
building in Pachacamac, and a luxurious hotel in Miraflores [El Comercio
and most papers, July 16, 1996].
LIMA. Fujimori's regime announced that 800 people accused of being
"terrorists" have been captured by the armed forces and National Police
during the first half of 1996, at the same time it acknowledged over 775
confrontations with the EPL in the same period [daily El Peruano,
Aprodeh, July 19, 1996].


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