Communist Party of Peru (PCP) in the Reactionary Peruvian Media

The Peruvian reactionary media have for years made a big point of stressing that “the Senderistas (PCP supporters) have been defeated” and that “subversion is almost totally wiped out.” It must be stressed that the Peruvian state and its allied media have always spread massive disinformation about the PCP and the people’s war it has led since 1980. For instance, PCP leader Abimael Guzman, also known as Chairman Gonzalo, was “captured” many times according to media reports, prior to his actual capture in 1992. The media have always grossly overestimated Maoist battle casualties, while minimizing blows against the old state to the extent possible. They have also falsely attributed the massacres by government forces to the PCP (See “Anatomy of a Government Lie: The True Story of the Shining Path and the Ashaninka Indians at: http://www.csrp.org/rw/rwash.htm ).

The reactionary media’s disinformation was particularly damaging in the period after the capture of Abimael Guzman and other important PCP leaders in 1992, and especially after the alleged request by Guzman for the PCP to dismantle the red base areas and lay down arms. But despite the tremendous difficulties, and the apparent capitulation by important sectors of the PCP, the popular war to this day continues, and red political power still exists in the remote countryside.

The following item from the reactionary press shows that the people’s war is still a threat to the old state, and that the armed struggle, along with political agitation, is still pursued:

“Peru.com: 2006/5/3) the Police Front of the Huallaga relays that two subversives of the Communist Party of Peru (PCP)-Sendero Luminoso (SL), were captured at kilometer 4 of the highway Federico Basadre, when went to the town of Aucayacu.“According to CPN Radio, Carlos Juan Celestine Advíncula (18) and Rubén Silva Huamanta (27), were preparing to board a motorcycle on the referenced highway at the time of being arrested by the agents of order.“In their possession was a grenade, a slow wick, four sticks of dynamite and 31 photocopied pamphlets with the motto ‘Don’t Vote, Wage People’s War!,’ as well as a booklet in which reference is made to the anniversary of the beginning of the armed warfare.”

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Disinformation concerning “innocents” aside, the following item demonstrates that the armed forces under the PCP exercise the ability to strike out at counterrevolutionaries:“(Peru.com: 2006/4/22) The remnants of the Shining Path have initiated a ferocious hunt to take revenge for the death of Héctor Aponte Sinaragua, Comrade Clay, who was killed the 19th of February. For that reason they have assassinated to date five innocents in the Alto Huallaga, these being confused as being informants of the Police, according to Police director, Luis Montoya Villanueva.”

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That the Defense Minister sees fit to relay the following, whether true or not, belies the alleged nonchalance of the reactionaries concerning the people’s war:“Peru.com: 2006/5/2) the leadership of the remnants of the Shining Path has begun to assassinate several of their members that wish to lay down the arms, according to Minister of Defense, Marciano Rengifo, referring to intelligence information.”

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The media serving the old order in Peru have not ceased their lies and slanders against the PCP and the people’s war. That is, if anything, good evidence that the specter of popular revolution still haunts the ruling classes of Peru, and that the people are indeed still making revolution.

Recent Photo of Peruvian Maoist Fighters