Report: Shining Path Seeks $10 Million Ransom For Kidnapped Workers

Shining Path rebels, suspected of kidnapping natural gas workers on Monday, have reportedly demanded a $10 million ransom, explosives, and clothes in exchange for the hostages, daily El Comercio reported.

The workers —between 36 and 40— were kidnapped early Monday morning in Kepashiato, a town located in the province of La Convencion in Cusco region.

Peru’s government has maintained military-like silence about the incident. On Monday, the Interior Ministry confirmed the kidnapping of the workers and that it was taking actions to rescue them, however it did not provide further information.

According to local news reports, a combined military-police force of 1,500 troops Read more…

Peru Captures Shining Path Leader In Upper Huallaga

Peruvian authorities announced they have captured a leader of the Shining Path remnants in the Upper Huallaga Valley, state news agency Andina reported.

Jaime Arenas Caviedes, alias Braulio, was allegedly one of the leaders of the Shining Path in the Upper Huallaga valley, following the capture of Florindo Flores in February.

Flores, also known as Comrade Artemio, was the last remaining member of the Shining Path’s central committee that had not been arrested or killed. He is now being held at the maximum security Callao Naval base prison, along with other high-profile inmates such as Read more…

Peru Police Capture Shining Path Leader’s Successor

Over the weekend Peruvian police captured the successor of Shining Path leader Florindo Flores , state news agency Andina reported.

Flores, alias Comrade Artemio, was captured last month in a joint police and military operation in the Upper Huallaga Valley, where he led one of the last two remaining splinter groups of the bloody Shining Path. The other group is located further south, in the Apurimac and Ene river valleys, or VRAE.

The VRAE and the Upper Huallaga Valley are Peru’s top growing regions for coca, Read more…

Shining Path Leader Admits To Killings, Denies Drug Traffic Links

Florindo Flores, the captured leader of a Shining Path splinter group, has allegedly confessed to killing more than 130 people, according to newspaper El Comercio.

According to the daily, Flores, also known as Comrade Artemio, allegedly confessed to the killing of 56 soldiers, 43 police officers and 32 civilians between 1989 and 2011.

“I assume [responsibility] for everything,” Flores reportedly said. “I assume them as the head of the Huallaga Regional Committee. What you have read (the killings) are incidents of war.”

Prosecutors asked Flores why he had killed civilians, why they were “incidents of Read more…

Peru Shining Path Leader Transferred To Counter-Terrorism Police

Peruvian police on Wednesday transferred Florindo Flores, the head of the Shining Path remnants in the Upper Huallaga Valley, from the police hospital to the counter-terrorism office for interrogation, newspaper El Comercio said.

Flores, alias Comrade Artemio, was being treated at the police hospital in Lima’s Jesus Maria district after he was captured in a joint police and military operation earlier this month.

Flores was badly injured in a confrontation with security forces in the Upper Read more…

Chile Re-opens Border After Clearing Landmines Dislodged by Flood

Chile re-opened its border crossing with Peru Wednesday morning, after closing it for emergency security reasons. Thousands of travelers on both sides of the border had to wait 48 hours until the restrictions were lifted.

The border was closed Monday after the Seco River in Arica flooded, dislodging anti-personnel landmines planted in the desert area.

According to Peru’s Immigration chief in Tacna, Rocío Orbegoso, the Chilean army stepped up the cleaning of the area to re-open the border some 24 hours earlier than originally scheduled.

Chile, a former producer and stockpiler of landmines and cluster munitions, signed Read more…

Peru Military Commander: “Sooner or Later” to Finish Shining Path Remnants

The commander general of Peru’s army, Victor Ripalda, said Friday that “sooner or later” the country’s security forces will defeat Shining Path remnants.

“What is certain is that sooner or later we have to finish with this scourge,” Ripalda said, according to state news agency Andina.

In a joint operation, the military and police captured on Sunday Florindo Flores, the head of the Shining Path faction in the Upper Huallaga Valley. A badly injured Flores, whose nom de guerre is Comrade Artemio, was transferred to the police Read more…

Shining Path Attack Kills One Soldier In VRAE

Days after President Ollanta Humala announced the capture of the head of the Shining Path remnants in the Upper Huallaga Valley, another rebel splinter group launched an attack on a military base that killed one army officer, newspaper El Comercio reported.

The attack by the Shining Path remnants occurred in the Apurimac and Ene river valley. Officials say that Capt. Germán Parra was killed and another soldier injured Read more…

Peru To Transfer Shining Path’s Artemio To Maximum Security Prison

Peruvian Justice Minister Juan Jimenez said that Florindo Flores, the captured leader of the Shining Path remnants in the Upper Huallaga Valley, will be transferred to a maximum security prison following investigations by police and prosecutors.

“According to the Constitution, there are 15 days to carry out investigations, and later he will come before a judge who will decide to which prison he will be transferred,” state news agency Andina reported Jimenez as saying.

“The possibilities for detention will be those established in the current regulations. There are various prisons that offer maximum security to guarantee the Read more…

Peru Captures Shining Path Leader Artemio

Peruvian security forces Sunday captured the leader of the Shining Path remnant group in the Upper Huallaga Valley, the last remaining member of the rebel group’s central committee to be captured.

The government said that Florindo Eleuterio Flores Hala, known as “Comrade Artemio,” was injured in a conflict with Peruvian police and the military. Rebels managed to get Artemio to a village medical post in Santa Rosa de Mishollo, where he was treated for gunshot wounds before going into hiding. Read more…

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