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Shining Path
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==== Temporary resurgence (2001–2009) ==== Although the organization's numbers had lessened by 2003,<ref name="activity" /> a militant faction of the Shining Path called ''Proseguir'' ("Onward") continued to be active.<ref>United States Department of State (2005). [https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61738.htm Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Peru – 2005]. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> The group had allegedly made an alliance with the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) in the early 2000s, learning how to use rockets against aircraft.<ref name=":8" /> [[File:Flag of the PCP-CBMR.svg|thumb|right|Flag used by the Red Mantaro Base Committee (PCP-CBMR), established in 2001.]] On Tuesday, August 9, 2001, an armed shootout between Peruvian policemen and Shining Path guerrillas took place in [[Satipo province]]. Police forces had broken through a primary line of defence as part of a special operation while underestimating the group's numbers, who had coincidentally reunited and thus increased their numbers. This led to a shootout that lasted five hours and took the lives of four policemen and 12 ''senderistas''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Perú: 16 muertos en enfrentamientos |date=2001-08-09 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_1481000/1481436.stm |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> On 20 March 2002, a [[2002 Lima bombing|car bomb exploded outside the US embassy in Lima]] just before a visit by President [[George W. Bush]]. Nine people were killed, and 30 were injured; the attack was suspected to be the work of the Shining Path.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1884762.stm "Peru bomb fails to deter Bush"]. [[BBC]]. 21 March 2002. Retrieved 14 April 2009.</ref> On 9 June 2003, a Shining Path group attacked a camp in Ayacucho and took 68 employees of the Argentinian company [[Techint]] and three police guards as hostages. They had been working on the [[Camisea Gas Project|Camisea gas pipeline project]] that would take natural gas from [[Cusco Region|Cusco]] to Lima.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E2DD1339F933A25755C0A9659C8B63 "Pipeline Workers Kidnapped"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', 10 June 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> According to sources from Peru's Interior Ministry, the rebels asked for a sizable ransom to free the hostages. Two days later, after a rapid military response which involved a [[signals intelligence]] [[Embraer R-99|aircraft]] from the [[Brazilian Air Force]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/brasil/fc2109200326.htm|title=Jato da FAB ajuda a libertar reféns no Peru|author=Folha de S. Paulo|date=21 September 2003|access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fab.mil.br/noticias/imprime/22972/|title=Esquadrão responsável pela vigilância da Amazônia completa 40 mil horas de voo|date=17 September 2015|access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref> the rebels abandoned the hostages; according to government sources, no ransom was paid.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2980154.stm "Peru hostages set free"]. [[BBC]], 11 June 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2008.</ref> However, there were rumors that US$200,000 was paid to the rebels.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050515162722/http://americas.org/item_8405 "Gas Workers Kidnapped, Freed"] Americas.org. Retrieved 17 January 2008</ref> Government forces have captured three leading Shining Path members. In April 2000, Commander [[José Arcela Chiroque]], called "Ormeño", was captured, followed by another leader, Florentino Cerrón Cardozo, called "Marcelo", in July 2003. In November of the same year, Jaime Zuñiga, called "Cirilo" or "Dalton", was arrested after a clash in which four guerrillas were killed and an officer was wounded.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3255911.stm "Peru Captures Shining Path Rebel."]. [[BBC News]], 9 November 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> Officials said he took part in planning the kidnapping of the Techint pipeline workers. He was also thought to have led an ambush against an army helicopter in 1999 in which five soldiers died. In 2003, the Peruvian National Police broke up several Shining Path training camps and captured many members and leaders.<ref name=PGT2003>United States Department of State, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. 29 April 2004. [https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2003/31640.htm "Patterns of Global Terrorism: Western Hemisphere Overview"]. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> By late October 2003, there were 96 attacks in Peru, projecting a 15% decrease from the 134 kidnappings and armed attacks in 2002.<ref name=PGT2003/> Also for the year, eight<ref name="DRL2003">United States Department of State. 25 February 2004. [https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27916.htm Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2003: Peru]. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> or nine<ref name=PGT2003/> people were killed by the Shining Path, and 6 ''senderistas'' were killed and 209 were captured.<ref name=PGT2003/> [[File:Artemioandfriends.jpg|thumb|right|[[Comrade Artemio]], now captured and serving a life sentence in prison]] In January 2004, a man known as [[Comrade Artemio]] and identifying himself as one of the Shining Path's leaders, said in a media interview that the group would resume violent operations unless the Peruvian government granted amnesty to other top Shining Path leaders within 60 days.<ref>Issue Papers and Extended Responses. [http://www2.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/research/rir/?action=record.viewrec&gotorec=437340 Available online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206015221/http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/research/rir/?action=record.viewrec&gotorec=437340 |date=6 December 2008}}. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> Peru's Interior Minister, Fernando Rospigliosi, said that the government would respond "drastically and swiftly" to any violent action. In September that same year, a comprehensive sweep by police in five cities found 17 suspected members of a "Huallaga Regional Committee" ({{lang|es|Comité Regional Huallaga}}; CRH). According to the interior minister, eight of the arrested were school teachers and high-level school administrators.<ref>[http://www.larepublica.com.pe/component/option,com_contentant/task,view/id,53820/Itemid,0/ "En operativo especial capturan a 17 requisitoriados por terrorismo"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328171709/http://www.larepublica.com.pe/component/option,com_contentant/task,view/id,53820/Itemid,0/ |date=28 March 2008}}. ''[[La República (Peru)|La República]]'', 29 September 2004. Retrieved 16 January 2008. {{in lang|es}}</ref> Despite these arrests, the Shining Path continued to exist in Peru. On 22 December 2005, the Shining Path ambushed a police patrol in the [[Huánuco Region|Huánuco region]], killing eight.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E2D81430F931A15751C1A9639C8B63 "Rebels Kill 8 Policemen"]. ''The New York Times'', 22 December 2005. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> Later that day, they wounded an additional two police officers. In response, then President [[Alejandro Toledo]] declared a state of emergency in Huánuco and gave the police the power to search houses and arrest suspects without a warrant. On 19 February 2006, the Peruvian police killed Héctor Aponte, believed to be the commander responsible for the ambush.<ref>[http://www.larepublica.com.pe/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103189&Itemid=2&fecha_edicion=2006-02-20 "Jefe militar senderista ‘Clay’ muere en operativo policial"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328171820/http://www.larepublica.com.pe/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103189&Itemid=2&fecha_edicion=2006-02-20 |date=28 March 2008}}. ''La República'', 20 February 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2008. {{in lang|es}}</ref> In December 2006, Peruvian troops were sent to counter renewed guerrilla activity, and according to high-level government officials, the Shining Path's strength has reached an estimated 300 members.<ref>[[The Washington Times]]. 12 December 2006. "Troops dispatched to corral guerrillas."</ref> In November 2007, police said they killed Artemio's second-in-command, a guerrilla known as JL.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7116301.stm "Peru police 'kill leading rebel'"]. [[BBC]]. Retrieved 13 January 2008.</ref> In September 2008, government forces announced the killing of five rebels in the [[Vizcatan]] region. This claim was subsequently challenged by the [[APRODEH]], a Peruvian human rights group, which believed that those who were killed were in fact local farmers and not rebels.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN09325588 "Peru army may have killed farmers – rights group"]. [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 11 June 2009.</ref> That same month, Artemio gave his first recorded interview since 2006. In it, he stated that the Shining Path would continue to fight despite escalating military pressure.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-09-18-2891478017_x.htm "Peru rebel leader refuses to lay down arms"]. AP. Retrieved 11 June 2009.</ref> In October 2008, in [[Huancavelica Region]], the guerrillas engaged a military convoy with explosives and firearms, demonstrating their continued ability to strike and inflict casualties on military targets. The conflict resulted in the death of 12 soldiers and two to seven civilians.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7664107.stm "Peru rebels launch deadly ambush'"]. [[BBC]]. Retrieved 11 June 2009.</ref><ref>[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/10/international/i081213D15.DTL "Peru says 14 killed in Shining Path attack"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011191325/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2008%2F10%2F10%2Finternational%2Fi081213D15.DTL |date=11 October 2008}}. Associated Press. Retrieved 11 June 2009.</ref> It came one day after a clash in the Vizcatan region, which left five rebels and one soldier dead.<ref>[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2008/10/11/178195/1-Peruvian.htm "1 Peruvian soldier, 5 rebels killed in military campaign"]. Associated Press. Retrieved 11 June 2009.</ref> In November 2008, the rebels utilized hand grenades and automatic weapons in an assault that claimed the lives of 4 police officers.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120903130159/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jhH0I44QVP2nNc9pM0bXZUkgxkvg "Peru's Shining Path kill four police in ambush"]. AFP. Retrieved 11 June 2009.</ref> In April 2009, the Shining Path ambushed and killed 13 government soldiers in Ayacucho.<ref name="Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7995524.stm "Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru"]. BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2009.</ref> Grenades and dynamite were used in the attack.<ref name="Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru"/> The dead included eleven soldiers and one captain, and two soldiers were also injured, with one reported missing.<ref name="Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru"/> Poor communications were said to have made relay of the news difficult.<ref name="Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru" /> The country's Defense Minister, [[Antero Flores Aráoz]], said many soldiers "plunged over a cliff".<ref name="Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru" /> His prime minister, [[Yehude Simon]], said these attacks were "desperate responses by the Shining Path in the face of advances by the armed forces" and expressed his belief that the area would soon be freed of "leftover terrorists".<ref name="Rebels kill 13 soldiers in Peru" /> In the aftermath, a Sendero leader called this "the strongest [anti-government] blow{{nbsp}}... in quite a while".<ref name="Shining Path rebels stage comeback in Peru">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/04/21/peru.shining.path/index.html|title=Shining Path rebels stage comeback in Peru|date=21 April 2009|access-date=24 April 2009|publisher=CNN}}</ref> In November 2009, Defense Minister [[Rafael Rey]] announced that Shining Path militants had attacked a military outpost in southern Ayacucho province. One soldier was killed and three others wounded in the assault.<ref>[https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-peru-rebels-attack-army-outpost-killing-1-soldier-2009nov05-story.html "Peru rebels attack army outpost, killing 1 soldier"]. [[Associated Press]]. Retrieved 4 January 2022.</ref>
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