Editing Communism in Peru

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{{Communism sidebar|By country}}
[[Communism]] as a political philosophy in [[Peru]] dates back to the 1920s, a [[History of Peru (1919–1930)|period]] where new ideological currents entered the country.

Throughout the movement's history, a number of parties, movements and organisations in the country have referred to themselves by the name of "[[communist party]]". The oldest to do so is the [[Peruvian Communist Party]] (''Partido Comunista Peruano'', PCP), originally founded in 1928 as the ''Peruvian Socialist Party'' (PSP) by [[Marxism|Marxist]] philosopher and journalist [[José Carlos Mariátegui]]. The 1960s brought about the emergence of splinter groups up until the 21st century. One of these groups, commonly known as the [[Shining Path]] (PCP-SL), waged an insurgency against the [[Peruvian State]] that resulted in a [[Internal conflict in Peru|20-year period of violence]] that took place from 1980 to 2000, while its splinter groups have continued to operate from 2001 onwards.

== History ==
The first Peruvian political party to adopt [[communism]] as an ideology was the [[Peruvian Communist Party]] (''Partido Comunista Peruano'', PCP). It was originally founded as the Peruvian Socialist Party (PSP) in 1928 by a group of nine socialist sympathisers (known as the "Group of Lima"), which included [[Marxism|Marxist]] philosopher and journalist [[José Carlos Mariátegui]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=Gran Historia del Perú |last=García Yrigoyen |first=Franklin Pease |publisher=[[El Comercio (Peru)|Empresa Editora El Comercio S.A.]] |year=2000 |edition=1st |location=Lima |pages=207–214 |language=es |chapter=Leguía y la “Patria Nueva” (1919-1930)}}</ref> and formally changed its name in 1930, following Mariátegui's death and his succession by {{ill|Eudocio Ravines|es}} as party leader.

Following a period of outright illegality, the group gradually incorporated itself into the legal political scene during the 1960s, which led to the disappointment with its so-called bureaucratic and collaborationist character, believing that [[guerrilla warfare]] was the only path to the establishment of a [[socialist state]]. In 1962, a faction split and formed the [[National Liberation Army (Peru)|National Liberation Army]] (ELN) a year later, which led such a military campaign until its defeat by 1965.

Peruvian reception for Marxism was increased by the 1959 victory of the [[Cuban Revolution|Cuban revolution]] and the [[Fidel Castro]]'s declaration following Cuba post-[[Bay of Pigs Invasion|Bay of Pigs invasion]] declaration that he was a [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist-Leninist]] and always would be.<ref name=":23233">{{Cite book |last=Scott Palmer |first=David |title=Mao's Little Red Book: A Global History |date=2013 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-107-05722-7 |editor-last=Cook |editor-first=Alexander C. |location=Cambridge |pages= |chapter=The Influence of Maoism in Peru}}</ref>{{Rp|page=132}}

[[Fernando Belaúnde|Fernando Belaúnde Terry]]'s administration was tolerant of the political left, and a variety of Marxist parties expanded during his time in office.<ref name=":23233" />{{Rp|pages=132-133}}

In 1963, the ongoing [[Sino-Soviet split]] separated the PCP into two rival factions, one [[Soviet Union|pro-Soviet]] and the other [[People's Republic of China|pro-Chinese]]. The latter subsequently split from the Peruvian Communist Party in January 1964 and adopted the name [[Peruvian Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)|Peruvian Communist Party – Red Flag]] (PCP-BR).{{sfn|Fumerton|2003|p=37}} The party was originally led by [[Saturnino Paredes]], [[José Sotomayor]], and [[Abimael Guzmán]].{{sfn|Alexander|1999|p=156}}{{sfn|Mauceri|1996|p=120}} Due to internal disagreements among the party's three leaders, the party expelled several of its members in its early history. Two parties subsequently emerged from a 1969 split in the party: the [[Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland]] (PCP-PR) and the [[Shining Path|Communist Party of Peru – Shining Path]] (PCP-SL){{efn|Self-proclaimed as the "Communist Party of Peru" (PCP), but otherwise known as the "Shining Path" (SL).|name=PCPSL}} led by Guzmán. Afterwards, Paredes became the party's sole leader and renamed the party "Peruvian Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)". In response to the [[Sino-Albanian split]], the party dropped its commitment to [[Maoism]] and aligned itself with the [[Party of Labour of Albania]] and [[Hoxhaism]]. In 1978, the "PCP-Mayoría" faction split from the PCP to form a more pro-Soviet branch, as it considered that the PCP had adopted [[Eurocommunism]] instead, operating until the 1980s.

The [[1980 Peruvian general election|elections of 1980]] formally ended the so-called [[Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru|Revolutionary Government]] of [[Francisco Morales Bermúdez]], who had seized power from [[Juan Velasco Alvarado]] through a [[Tacnazo|military coup]] in 1975. The previously banned socialist and communist parties participated in the elections, leading to the PCP attaining five seats in the constituent assembly, while left-wing groups as a whole achieved an important presence and united to form the [[United Left (Peru)|United Left]] alliance, which formed one of the country's main political forces during the 1980s.

In contrast to the aforementioned legal route of the political left, Guzmán's PCP-SL began its war against the [[Peruvian government]] by [[Chuschi ballot burning incident|burning ballots]] in [[Chuschi]], a town in rural [[Department of Ayacucho|Ayacucho]]. Guzmán's faction considered the political left as [[Revisionism (Marxism)|revisionists]], openly and actively opposing them through its [[Internal conflict in Peru|period of insurgency]]. The Shining Path's leadership was [[Operation Victoria|captured and arrested]] by the [[Special Intelligence Group]] in 1992, and entered amnesty talks the following year. Rump factions of the group that opposed the peace talks have since continued a low-intensity insurgency that continues to this day, allying themselves with [[Narcoterrorism|narcoterrorist]] groups in rural parts of the country, notably the [[Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro]] (VRAEM).

Following the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, the PCP and other communist parties in Peru have since participated at a much smaller level in the country's politics, mainly through broad left-wing political alliances.

== List of parties ==
A number of political parties claim the name and legacy of the original party founded in 1928, some using the original name. These parties include:
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | {{Abbreviation|Abbr.|Abbreviation}}
! scope="col" | Established
! scope="col" | Disestablished
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| [[Peruvian Communist Party|Partido Comunista Peruano]]
| PCP{{efn|The group is also known as "PCP-Unidad" to distinguish it from other groups.}}
| 1928
| '''No'''
| Known as the ''Peruvian Socialist Party'' until 1930.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Workers' Party (Peru)|Partido Obrero Revolucionario]]
| POR{{efn|Formerly "GOM".}}
| 1944
| 1963
| Known as the ''Marxist Workers Group'' until 1946.
|-
| [[APRA Rebelde]]
| APRA
| 1959
| 1962
| Split from [[American Popular Revolutionary Alliance|APRA]]; later became the [[Revolutionary Left Movement (Peru)|MIR]].
|-
| [[Peruvian Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)|Partido Comunista Peruano (Marxista–Leninista)]]
| PCPML{{efn|Formerly "PCP-BR".}}
| 1964
| '''No'''
| Known as the ''Peruvian Communist Party – Red Flag'' until 1969.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Vanguard|Vanguardia Revolucionaria]]
| VR
| 1965
| 1984
| 
|-
| [[Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland|Partido Comunista del Perú – Patria Roja]]
| PCP-PR
| 1970
| '''No'''
| Expelled from PCPML in 1969.
|-
| [[Shining Path|Partido Comunista del Perú]]{{efn|Better known as the ''Shining Path'' ({{langx|es|Sendero Luminoso}}).}}
| PCP{{efn|Otherwise known as the "PCP-SL" or simply as the "SL".}}
| 1970
| 1992{{efn|Its leadership was captured in 1992 and remnants have continued to take arms since.}}
| Expelled from PCPML in 1969 and [[Internal conflict in Peru|became an armed group]] in 1980.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Marxist Workers Party|Partido Obrero Marxista Revolucionario]]
| POMR
| 1970
| 1982
| A majority faction eventually joined the PST.
|-
| [[Communist Party – Red Star|Partido Comunista – Estrella Roja]]
| PCP-ER
| 1970s
| 1970s
| Split from the PCP.
|-
| [[Socialist Workers Party (Peru)|Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores]]
| PST
| 1971
| '''No'''
| A member of [[International Workers League – Fourth International|LIT-CI]]; a pro-UIT-CI faction split in 1992.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Communist Party (Peru)|Partido Comunista Revolucionario]]
| PCR
| 1974
| 1990s
| Split from the VR.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Communist Party – Red Trench|Partido Comunista Revolucionario - Trinchera Roja]]
| PCR-TR
| 1977
| 1984
| Split from the PCR and eventually joined the PUM.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Vanguard (Communist Proletarian)|Vanguardia Revolucionaria (Proletario Comunista)]]
| VR-PC
| 1977
| 1980s
| Dissolved and most of its members joined the Shining Path. A [[Revolutionary Vanguard (Politico-Military)|splinter group]] also existed.
|-
| [[Worker Peasant Student and Popular Front|Frente Obrero Campesino Estudiantil y Popular]]
| FOCEP
| 1977
| '''No'''
| 
|-
| [[Puka Llacta|Partido Comunista del Perú - Puka Llacta]]
| PCP-PLL
| 1978
| ?
| 
|-
| Partido Comunista Peruano – Mayoría
| PCP-Mayoría
| 1978
| 1980s
| Split from the PCP under the leadership of Ventura Zegarra.
|-
| [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (Marxist–Leninist)|Partido Socialista Revolucionario (Marxista-Leninista)]]
| PSR(M-L)
| 1978
| ?
| Split from the PSR
|-
| [[Workers' Revolutionary Party (Peru)|Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores]]
| PRT
| 1978
| '''No'''
| 
|-
| [[Revolutionary Communist Party (Working Class)|Partido Comunista Revolucionario-Clase Obrera]]
| PCR-CO
| 1970s
| ?
| 
|-
| [[Mariateguist Unified Party|Partido Unificado Mariateguista]]
| PUM
| 1984
| 1996
| 
|-
| [[Proletarian Party of Peru|Partido Proletario del Perú]]
| PPP
| 1990<ref>{{Cite book |title=Partidos políticos y democracia en el Perú: después de una década de la Ley de partidos políticos : hacia la reforma electoral |last=Chávez López |first=Dany |publisher=[[Jurado Nacional de Elecciones]] |year=2015 |isbn=9786124200502 |pages=378 |language=es |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bVbPxIJKVkkC}}</ref>
| '''No'''
| Headed by Illipa Tuta.
|-
| [[Militarized Communist Party of Peru|Militarizado Partido Comunista del Perú]]
| MPCP
| 1992
| '''No'''
| Operates as a militant group.
|-
| [[Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement#People's Democratic Front|Frente Democrático del Pueblo]]
| FDP
| 2000
| '''No'''
| Political wing of the defunct [[Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement|MRTA]].
|-
| [[Free Peru|Partido Político Nacional Perú Libre]]
| PL
| 2008
| '''No'''
| 
|}

=== Other ===
A number of [[Parliamentary group|electoral fronts and alliances]] have brought together the aforementioned groups on different occasions:
*The name "[[Socialist Vanguard Party]]" was used by the PCP in order to facilitate its legal registration in 1945.
*[[United Left (Peru)|United Left]] (IU): a loose alliance that gained a strong political presence in the 1980s.
*[[Revolutionary Left Union]] (UNIR): formed part of the IU from 1980 to 1993. Consisted of the PCP-PR, the VR-PC, and the [[National Liberation Front (Peru)|FLN]].

== See also ==
* [[Anarchism in Peru]]
* [[Gonzalo Thought]]
* [[Shining Path]]
* [[José Carlos Mariátegui]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Alexander |first1=Robert J. |title=International Maoism in the Developing World |date=1999 |publisher=Praeger |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=0275961494}}
* {{cite book |last1=Delury |first1=George E. |title=World Encyclopedia of Political Systems & Parties: Nepal-Zimbabwe, and smaller countries and microstates |date=1983 |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York, N.Y. |isbn=0871967804}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fumerton |first1=Mario |title=From Victims to Heroes: Peasant Counter-rebellion and Civil War in Ayacucho, Peru, 1980–2000 |date=2003 |publisher=Rozenberg |location=Amsterdam |isbn=9051706588}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mauceri |first1=Philip |title=State Under Siege: Development And Policy Making In Peru |date=1996 |publisher=Westview Press |location=Boulder, Colo. |isbn=0813336074}}
* {{cite book |last1=Nohlen |first1=Dieter |title=Elections in the Americas: A data handbook |volume=2 |date=2005 |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-928358-3}}
{{refend}}


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