Peru: Military operation carried out in VRAEM region /update 1

Event

According to a statement issued by the armed forces on October 15, four suspected members of the Shining Path group were killed in clashes with police and military troops in the first week of October. The clashes occurred in the VRAEM region during Operation Tenaz, which targeted the group and other criminal organizations operating in the region and was carried out October 1-8. Another 13 people were arrested, accused of drug trafficking.

Context

The VRAEM region (Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers) 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 (Sendero Luminoso) 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 travel to the VRAEM region, as well as the Huánuco region and areas along the Colombian border.