Sendero Luminoso: origins, outlooks, and implications

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Author
Jones, Frank Thomas Bradford
Date
1986-06Advisor
Buchanan, Paul
Second Reader
Laurance, Edward J.
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Show full item recordAbstract
The Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, rebellion in
Peru was launched during the summer of 1980. Although the
group was relatively unknown, and initially dismissed as a
weak and unimportant movement among the Indian peasants of
the Andean highlands, the Sendero guerrillas have proven to
be a resilient and dedicated threat to the Peruvian democratic
regime.
This thesis examines the Sendero Luminoso question from
three different perspectives. Their use of Maoist strategy
and tactics as interpreted by Abimael Guzman is discussed
at length. The counterinsurgency program is analyzed to explain
its failures and offer suggestions for improvement.
Finally, the problem is reviewed from the aspect of the
central government during the last two decades.
It is concluded that although Sendero Luminoso poses no
immediate threat to assume power, the guerrillas possess the
capability to inflict damage for at least the near future.
Recommendations for United States policy regarding Peru and
Sendero Luminoso are included in the final chapter.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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