Strategy
The strategy of Shining Path was to disrupt the economy and ruin the reputation of the government among peasants and eventually among the country as a whole. The group is reported to have hacked victims to death with machetes rather than waste/use ammunition. Shining Path is not linked with other terrorists groups nor is it state-sponsored. Part of their strategy was to target local authorities (police, local leaders, mayors) but it’s reported that by the 1980s they started to target wealthy locals and state agency heads. About 11,000 civilians were killed due to attacks and an estimated 70,000 in the overall fighting between forces. The group faced the issue of not winning the hearts and minds of the Peruvian people; they were stuck dealing with the effects of their fighting and violence of the group.
Organization:
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Goals:
The goals of Shining Path and Guzman were to bring
about the destruction of the “imperfect” democratic institutions.
Organization:
Narcotrafficking along with taxes on small business and individuals in the areas the operated within and ransoms for kidnappings funded the organization. They provided coca farmers with fair prices and offered protection from traffickers and security forces.
Structure:
Shining Path’s headquarters were initially established in the mountainous regions of Ayacucho and Huanta. The structure of the organization assumed that of a hierarchical cult rather than that of a cell-based model due to the fact that
Guzman played the role of an all-powerful military and spiritual leader.
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