The Shining Path and Peruvian terrorism

Gordon McCormick

Expert InsightsPublished 1987

Sendero Luminoso (or Shining Path) is an effective terrorist organization in Peru, rooted in a combination of Andean mysticism, Maoism, and the world view of its leader and organizer, Abimael Guzman. Sendero has called for the abolition of a national market economy, industry, the banking system, all foreign trade, and the use of currency, and for the establishment of a communal, village-oriented economy based on a barter exchange system. Founded in the early 1970s and operating underground since 1978, Sendero is responsible for terrorist operations throughout Peru. Focusing on the revolution in Peru, Sendero's ultimate goal is a larger, Latin American revolution uniting the Quechua nation in a new socialist state. Although Sendero is a tight-knit, resilient organization, it is unlikely that it will succeed in overthrowing Peru's fragile democracy. It does, however, pose a threat to the government's security because of widespread domestic subversion and the additional threat of military intervention.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1987
  • Pages: 24
  • Document Number: P-7297

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McCormick, Gordon, The Shining Path and Peruvian terrorism. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1987. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7297.html.
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