Cablegate: Sendero Celebrates Fifth Anniversary Of

O 172017Z MAY 85
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3881
INFO DIA WASHDC
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
AMEMBASSY QUITO
AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PN
USIA WASHDC 4160
AMEMBASSY PANAMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 05526

TERREP
DIA FOR IR BRANCH, PANAMA FOR ADS CLARKE

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PTER PREL PE
SUBJECT: SENDERO CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF
"ARMED STRUGGLE"

REF: LIMA 5476

1. I...

id: 61
date: 5/17/1985 20:17
refid: 85LIMA5526
origin: Embassy Lima
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 85LIMA5476
header:
O 172017Z MAY 85
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3881
INFO DIA WASHDC
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
AMEMBASSY QUITO
AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PN
USIA WASHDC 4160
AMEMBASSY PANAMA

----------------- header ends ----------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 05526

TERREP
DIA FOR IR BRANCH, PANAMA FOR ADS CLARKE

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PTER PREL PE
SUBJECT: SENDERO CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF
"ARMED STRUGGLE"

REF: LIMA 5476

1. IN MOST IMPRESSIVE SERIES OF COORDINATED ATTACKS
IN LIMA SINCE JULY, 1984, TERRORISTS, PRESUMED TO
BE SENDERISTAS CELEBRATING FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF
THEIR MAY 18, 1980 "DECLARATION OF WAR" ON GOP,
STRUCK AT VARIOUS DIPLOMATIC AND BUSINESS TARGETS
IN LIMA AREA NIGHT OF MAY 16. IN ADDITION TO
DYNAMITE CHARGES THROWN AT RESIDENCE OF U.S. AMBASSADOR
AND AT PERUVIAN-NORTH AMERICAN CULTURIAL INSTITUTE
(IPNCA) (REFTEL), 3 CHARGES DESTROYED MAIN DOOR
AND PART OF ENCLOSURE WALL OF CHINESE (PRC) EMBASSY
IN SAN ISIDRO. PRESS REPORTS THAT BOMBS WERE ALSO THROWN
AT REAR OF SOVIET EMBASSY IN SAN ISIDRO HAVE BEEN
DENIED BY PERUVIAN POLICE. REPORTED ATTACKS ON CUBAN
AND ISRAELI EMBASSIES HAVE ALSO BEEN DISPROVED (IN
ISRAELI CASE, BY EMBOFF CALLING ISRAELI EMBASSY).
IN ALL INCIDENTS INVOLVING DIPLOMATIC CHARGES, DAMAGE
WAS MINOR; ONE EMPLOYEE OF PRC EMBASSY WAS REPORTED
TO BE SLIGHTLY WOUNDED BY FLYING GLASS.
-
2. ACCORDING TO OUTLINE OF EVENTS REPORTED IN PRESS,
SERIES OF ATTACKS BEGAN ABOUT 2100, WHEN PARTIAL
BLACKOUT OCCURRED IN PORTIONS OF LIMA DUE TO DYNAMITING
OF AT LEAST TWO ELECTRICAL TOWERS, AT MATUCANA
AND HUINCO, IN MANTARO VALLEY POWER GRID. PORTIONS
OF MIRAFLORES, SAN ISIDRO AND CENTRAL LIMA WERE
AMONG AREAS AFFECTED, AND BROWN-OUTS OCCURRED
SPORADICALLY IN REST OF CITY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER,
SHOOTING OCCURRED AND DYNAMITE WAS THROWN AT TWO
PERUVIAN MARINE POSTS, IN UPPER-CLASS SUBURB OF
CHACARILLA DEL ESTANQUE, AND IN JICARILLA, IN SUBURB
OF SAN MARTIN DE PORRES. IN BOTH CASES, SHOOTING
RESULTED BETWEEN POLICE AND SUBVERSIVES, WITH TWO
POLICEMEN KILLED. WE SUSPECT THAT REPORTED GUN-
BATTLES SAID TO HAVE OCCURRED AT MINISTRY OF WAR AND
AT 79TH GUARDIA CIVIL STATION IN CHACARILLA WERE
DUE TO NERVOUS GUARDS FIRING IN AIR. AT LEAST SIX
SUSPECTS WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT JICARILLA, SOME
OF WHOM WERE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FOUND IN NEAR-BY
VAN. AT ROUGHLY SAME TIME,ANOTHER ARMED GROUP TOSSED
DYNAMITE AT MUNICIPAL OFFICES AND AT BRANCH OF
BANCO WEISE IN SUBURB OF VILLA MARIA DE TRIUNFO,
CAUSING DAMAGE BUT NO CASUALTIES. DYNAMITE CHARGES
WERE ALSO TOSSED AT TODOS SUPERMARKET IN MONTERRICO
AND AT OFFICES OF UTILITY ELECTROLIMA IN SUBURB
OF SAN JUAN DE LURIGANCHO, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE
AT BOTH SITES. SCATTERED EXPLOSIONS WERE REPORTED
AT OTHER LOCATIONS, INCLUDING SAN MARCOS UNIVERSITY
AND PLAZA DE ITALIA. FINALLY, SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS
ILLUMINATED LARGE HAMMER AND SICKLE DISPLAYS ON
HILLS ABOVE WORKING-CLASS SUBURBS OF EL AGUSTINO AND
VILLA EL SALVADOR. IN LATTER CASE, POLICE ARRIVED
AT SITE QUICKLY AND ARRESTED AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER
OF PERSONS TRYING TO FLEE THE AREA.
-
3. AT OUTSET OF WAVE OF ATTACKS, POLICE RUSHED
REINFORCEMENTS TO HOMES OF MEMBERS OF NATIONAL
ELECTIONS BOARD (JNE), WHO HAVE BEEN RECEIVING
TELEPHONE DEATH THREATS FOR LAST TWO WEEKS. AT
HOME OF JNE SECRETARY GENERAL OSWALDO CORPANCHO,
POLICE REPORTED THAT A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAD BEEN APPROACHING HOUSE FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
PILED INTO SAME CAR AND FLED WHEN POLICE ARRIVED.
-
4. COMMENT: VARIETY AND COORDINATION OF ATTACKS
SUGGESTS THAT, AFTER A PERIOD OF RELATIVE QUIESENCE,
SENDERO LUMINOSO HAS AGAIN REPLENISHED ITS RANKS
AND REGAINED ATTACK CAPABILITY IN LIMA, IN SPITE
OF ARRESTS OF VARIOUS KEY MEMBERS. POLICE ARE
UNANIMOUS IN ATTRIBUTING ATTACKS TO CELEBRATION OF
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF "DECLARATION OF WAR." SL HAS
PREVIOUSLY CELEBRATED SIMILAR ANNIVERSARIES WITH
SPECTACULAR ATTACKS. ACTUAL ANNIVERSARY, OF COURSE,
IS TOMORROW AND MORE VIOLENCE MAY WELL TAKE PLACE.
EMBASSY IS TAKING ADDITIONAL SECURITY PRECAUTIONS
(SEPTEL).

JORDAN

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