AYACUCHO, Peru (AP) - A band of about 40 suspected Shining Path guerrillas armed with assault rifles entered a remote jungle village earlier this month and told residents to cast blank ballots in an upcoming national referendum, police said Wednesday. The rebels rounded up the inhabitants of Ccahuasana sometime during the first week of October and "recommended" they not indicate on their ballots whether they support a redistricting plan that would merge 16 of Peru's 24 departments into five new regional governments. The incident was detailed in a police report obtained by The Associated Press. The referendum, set for Oct. 30, will test a proposal pushed by President Alejandro Toledo aimed at providing local governments more autonomy from the central government and a greater share of resources.
The rebels, who authorities believe are members of the Maoist-inspired guerrilla group, warned the residents to not cooperate with police.
They also reportedly told residents of the village, 360 kilometers (223 miles) southeast of the capital Lima, that they would provide them with the necessary protection to continue growing coca - the raw material for cocaine - despite government efforts to eliminate the crop. Police said they believe the rebels belonged to a column led by two guerrillas identified as "Comrade Alipio" and "Comrade Nancy." | Nancy? Now there's a name to strike fear into.....nah |
The Shining Path launched a campaign of car bombings, sabotage and assassinations in 1980 to overthrow the government and install a communist state. The fighting took nearly 70,000 lives, although the violence dropped off significantly in 1992 following the capture of the group's founder, Abimael Guzman, and other key leaders. Several hundred guerrillas continue to operate in Peru's highland jungles, where they run protection for cocaine traffickers. |