Peru: Attack targeting police in Huancavelica region June 7

Event

Four police officers were killed in an ambush carried out by “narcoterrorists” in the Huancavelica region on Thursday, June 7. The attack, which involved explosives, occurred around 17:00 (local time) in the Huajoto zone of Churcampa province - on the road linking the districts of Churcampa and Anco - close to the restive VRAEM region (Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers).

Since June 2016, 11 security force personnel have been killed in attacks in the VRAEM region. However, the June 7 incident stands out as it occurred outside areas where VRAEM-based armed groups - notably remnants of the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) - typically operate.

Context

The VRAEM region - made up of parts of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Cusco, and Junín - was largely ignored by the Peruvian government until 2006, allowing criminal groups to thrive and poverty rates to remain extremely high. Joint police and army patrols are now regularly carried out in the area. According to the UN, one-third of the cocaine produced worldwide comes from this area, totaling up to 400 tons per year.

The Shining Path remains Peru's largest armed group, although its level of activity has fallen sharply since its peak in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, its members are principally involved in drug trafficking, concentrated in the VRAEM region.

Advice

Due to the presence of armed groups, some Western governments advise against all travel to the VRAEM region, as well to areas along the Colombian border.