Young Peruvian Escapes Shining Path After 17 Years
http://www.peruviantimes.com/09/young-peruvian-escapes-shining-path-after-17-years/21146/
Peruvian authorities on Wednesday said the military in the Cusco area of Kimbiri rescued a young man who had been held hostage by remnants of the Shining Path for 17 years, according to state news agency Andina.
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According to Andina, Guevara was taken from his mother, who was 15 years old at the time, in the Ayacucho province of Vizcatan, an area that witnessed extreme violence in the 1980-2000 internal conflict. Guevara said he had been brought up by his mothers sister, Comrade Vilma, married to a Shining Path rebel leader.
The Shining Path launched a violent campaign to overthrow the state in 1980. The group was largely defeated in the 1990s with the capture of its leader, Abimael Guzman.
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Peruvian officials have reported that the Shining Path has used children to fight for them. In 2012, President Ollanta Humala announced that police rescued 10 children who were being trained in a camp by the rebels.