Peru: Clashes with armed group in VRAEM region June 24 /update 2

Event

Clashes broke out between Peruvian soldiers and some 15 “narcoterrorists” believed to belong to the Shining Path armed group (Sendero Luminoso) in the VRAEM region on Sunday, June 24. The incident occurred as soldiers were carrying out a reconnaissance mission in the Vizcatán district, located in the province of Satipo (Junín). Several militants were injured but no soldiers were wounded. The Peruvian armed forces are expected to continue to intensify their operations in the area; as such, further clashes and attacks are likely in the coming weeks.

This was the third such incident to take place in the restive VRAEM region (Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers) since the beginning of June. Four police officers were killed during an ambush carried out by narcoterrorists in the Huancavelica region on June 7 and six were wounded during an attack against a military base in Mazángaro (Vizcatán district) on June 11.

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.