Tupac Amaru -- Peru's smaller guerrilla group

Overshadowed by Shining Path movement

December 18, 1996
Web posted at: 11:00 a.m. EST

(CNN) -- Since it first took up arms in 1984, the Marxist Tupac Amaru revolutionary movement in Peru has been largely overshadowed by the larger Maoist-influenced Shining Path rebel group.

Tupac Amaru, whose ideology is inspired by Fidel Castro's Cuba, most likely never had more than 1,800 members, and is believed to have no more than a few hundred now.

Focusing mostly on urban warfare, Tupac Amaru rebels bombed fast food restaurants, robbed banks, and kidnapped businessmen. The larger Shining Path group terrorized mountain villages, towns, and poor urban areas.

Tupac Amaru was named for Tupac Amaru II, an indigenous rebel who was executed for an uprising against the Spanish in the 1700s. That rebel had taken his name from the last ruler of the Inca empire before Spain conquered Peru.

In recent years, top commanders of Tupac Amaru had said they were giving up the fight. Their chief, Victor Polay, was captured in 1992 and is serving a life sentence. Soon after, other top leaders surrendered their weapons to President Alberto Fujimori.

Since then, Tupac Amaru had not been heard from and its members were believed to be in their jungle hideouts.

The guerrillas called Tuesday's assault on the Japanese ambassador's house "Breaking the Silence," and said their highest priority was to obtain Polay's release.

 

Related story:

• Peruvian guerrillas threaten to kill hostages - December 18, 1996

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• Peru Info
• Peru on the Internet

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