Cablegate: Ayacucho Emerges From Its Sendero Past

R 191414Z DEC 94
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1454
INFO AMEMBASSY QUITO
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LIMA 011661

USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM KJUS PE
SUBJECT: AYACUCHO EMERGES FROM ITS SENDERO PAST

REF: A) LIMA 9514; B) 93 LIMA 8504
...

id: 702
date: 12/19/1994 14:14
refid: 94LIMA11661
origin: Embassy Lima
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 93LIMA8504|94LIMA9514
header:
R 191414Z DEC 94
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1454
INFO AMEMBASSY QUITO
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LIMA 011661

USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM KJUS PE
SUBJECT: AYACUCHO EMERGES FROM ITS SENDERO PAST

REF: A) LIMA 9514; B) 93 LIMA 8504

1. (U) SUMMARY: ON NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1,
AMBASSADOR AND MRS. ADAMS, ACCOMPANIED BY AID
OFFICERS AND POLOFF TRAVELED TO AYACUCHO FOR THE
OPENING OF AN AID-FUNDED DETAINEE REGISTRY
CENTER. US-TEAM ALSO VISITED AN ORPHANAGE AND
AMBASSADOR MET WITH THE LOCAL UNIVERSITY RECTOR
AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. THROUGHOUT THE TRIP,
LOCAL RESIDENTS COMMENTED ON THE IMPROVED
SECURITY SITUATION IN AYACUCHO, WHICH WAS
FORMERLY A HOTBED OF MILITARY/SENDERO
CONFRONTATION. A KEY CONCERN OF LOCAL OFFICIALS
APPEARS TO BE LETTING THE OUTSIDE WORLD KNOW
ABOUT THE IMPROVED SITUATION, AND THUS IMPROVING
TOURISM AND REGAINING INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
AND COOPERATION. END SUMMARY.

2. (U) AMBASSADOR AND MRS. ADAMS, ACCOMPANIED
BY AID DEPUTY COUNTRY DIRECTOR, AID
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE OFFICER, AND POLOFF
TRAVELED NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1 TO AYACUCHO, A
SMALL RUSTIC TOWN IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL ANDES
(POPULATION OF 35,000, WITH A TOTAL REGIONAL
POPULATION OF 140,000). AYACUCHO HAS A HEAVY
INDIAN INFLUENCE. QUECHUA IS SPOKEN OR
UNDERSTOOD BY ROUGHLY HALF THE POPULATION AND
DISTINCTIVE NATIVE DRESS IS MUCH IN EVIDENCE.
THE TOWN STILL IS HEAVILY COLONIAL IN
ARCHITECTURE, WITH MANY BUILDINGS DATING FROM
THE 18TH CENTURY. NO POLITICAL POSTERS OR
SLOGANS OF ANY KIND WERE EVIDENT, EXCEPT FOR
OCCASIONAL SPRAY PAINT GRAFFITI WITH THE NAME OF
A LOCAL APRA POLITICIAN. THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE THAT AYACUCHO HAD ONCE BEEN A DANGEROUS
PLACE, OR THAT ITS VICINITY HAD BEEN THE SCENE
OF FREQUENT SENDERO ATTACKS AND GOVERNMENT
CLASHES. DESPITE THE SENSE IN AYACUCHO THAT ONE
IS IN A REMOTE LOCATION, ACCESS TO LIMA IS EASY
SINCE ITS AIRPORT IS SERVED BY PERU'S FOUR
DOMESTIC AIR CARRIERS.

-----------------
DETAINEE REGISTRY
-----------------

3. (U) THE AMBASSADOR'S FIRST STOPS IN AYACUCHO
WERE TO INAUGURATE THE AID-FUNDED DETAINEE
REGISTRY COMPUTERS AT THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS
AND THE LOCAL PUBLIC MINISTRY OFFICE. ATTORNEY
GENERAL BLANCA NELIDA COLAN PARTICIPATED IN THE
CEREMONY AT THE PUBLIC MINISTRY AND HOSTED A
RECEPTION AFTERWARDS. DETAINEE REGISTRY CENTERS
ENABLE CITIZENS TO LOCATE INDIVIDUALS DETAINED
ON TERRORISM AND TREASON CHARGES BY POLICE OR
MILITARY (IN EMERGENCY ZONES) AUTHORITIES ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY. BY NEXT SEPTEMBER, 13 SUCH
CENTERS SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL THROUGHOUT PERU.
AYACUCHO IS THE THIRD SUCH CENTER OPENED SINCE
LAST FEBRUARY. (LIMA AND TARAPOTO WERE THE
FIRST TWO, HUANUCO SHOULD BE OPENED IN JANUARY.)

-------
ORPHANS
-------

4. (U) US-TEAM THEN VISITED THE USAID-SUPPORTED
ANDRES VIVANCO ORPHANAGE RUN BY SANTA ANA NUNS
FOR CHILDREN UP TO AGE 18, INCLUDING NEWBORNS.
FOUR NUNS ASSISTED BY LAY WORKERS TAKE CARE OF
APPROXIMATELY 150 CHILDREN, ALMOST ALL OF WHOM
LOST THEIR PARENTS DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS OF
SENDERO-MILITARY CONFLICT IN THE AREA. AN
ADDITIONAL 180 CHILDREN ATTEND DAY-TIME PROGRAMS
AT THE FACILITY. (EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE BY
LOCAL SALESIAN FATHERS TO ORGANIZE AN ORPHANAGE
FOR OLDER CHILDREN.) EARLIER THIS YEAR, UNDER A
CONGRESSIONAL EARMARK FOR DISPLACED CHILDREN AND
ORPHANS, AID PROVIDED USD 200,000 FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOPS
AND FOR REPAIRS TO THE ORPHANAGE'S DECREPIT
WATER SYSTEM.

5. (U) WHILE IN AYACUCHO, AMBASSADOR WAS
PRESENTED WITH A LETTER FROM THE AYACUCHO
ASSOCIATION OF RELATIVES OF VICTIMS OF TERRORISM
(AFAVIT) SEEKING ASSISTANCE. THIS ORGANIZATION
TAKES CARE OF A FURTHER 100 CHILDREN BETWEEN THE
AGES OF THREE AND FIFTEEN. THESE CHILDREN ARE
NOT TOTALLY DESTITUTE, UNLIKE THOSE TAKEN CARE
OF AT ANDRES VIVANCO, BUT LIVE IN DIRE ECONOMIC
CIRCUMSTANCES WITH RELATIVES OR A SURVIVING
PARENT. THIS ORGANIZATION IS HEADED BY A
UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHOSE PARENTS, WHO WERE
TEACHERS, WERE KILLED BY SENDERO LUMINOSO IN
1989. HE EXPLAINED TO POLOFF THAT SIMILAR
ORGANIZATIONS EXIST IN LIMA AND HUANTA (IN
NORTHERN AYACUCHO DEPARTMENT).

---------------------
NEW UNIVERSITY RECTOR
---------------------

6. (U) AMBASSADOR, JOINED BY AID DEPUTY
DIRECTOR AND POLOFF, MET WITH EDUARDO GONZALEZ,
THE NEW RECTOR OF SAN CRISTOBAL DE HUAMANGA
UNIVERSITY IN AYACUCHO, WHO HAD ASSUMED HIS
POSITION ONLY FIFTEEN DAYS BEFORE. GONZALEZ
REPLACED PEDRO VILLENA, WHO WAS NAMED MINISTER
OF EDUCATION IN OCTOBER (REF A).

7. (U) THE RECTOR EXPLAINED THAT SAN CRISTOBAL
DE HUAMANGA WAS THE SECOND OLDEST UNIVERSITY IN
PERU, HAVING BEEN FOUNDED IN 1677. IT CURRENTLY
HAS TEN THOUSAND STUDENTS AND EMPLOYS 400
PROFESSORS, WHO TEACH IN TEN DIFFERENT
FACULTIES. HE CONTRASTED THE CURRENT STUDENT
ENROLLMENT WITH THE PERIOD OF VIOLENCE DURING
THE EIGHTIES, WHEN STUDENT ENROLLMENT
APPROXIMATED ONLY 3,500. SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE
STUDENTS COME FROM RURAL AREAS SURROUNDING
AYACUCHO. THE EDUCATION FACULTY HAS THE LARGEST
ENROLLMENT.

8. (U) GONZALEZ MENTIONED PAST PROFESSOR
EXCHANGES BETWEEN SAN CRISTOBAL DE HUAMANGA AND
AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. ALL SUCH EXCHANGES ENDED
DUE TO THE VIOLENCE THAT BEGAN IN THE EARLY
1980'S. THE RECTOR IS SENDING THE EMBASSY A
LETTER WITH PROPOSALS FOR RESURRECTING SOME OF
THESE PROGRAMS WITH U.S. UNIVERSITIES. HE WAS
PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF
TEXAS.

9. (U) THE RECTOR ADDED THAT AMERICAN
ARCHAELOGIST WILLIAM ISBELL, WHO HAD DIRECTED
EXCAVATIONS AT THE NEARBY PRE-INCA WARI EMPIRE
RUINS, WOULD RETURN TO AYACUCHO NEXT MONTH AFTER
A FOUR YEAR ABSENCE TO CHECK ON THE SECURITY
SITUATION AND LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF
BRINGING UP TO FIFTEEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM
THE U.S. TO WORK ON THE SITE.

10. (U) AS FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMIC SITUATION,
THE RECTOR EXPLAINED THAT THE AYACUCHO ECONOMY
RELIES PRIMARILY ON TEXTILES FOR EXPORT. HE
ADDED THAT EASTER WEEK IS A BIG TOURIST EVENT IN
AYACUCHO AND ATTRACTED APPROXIMATELY SIX
THOUSAND TOURISTS LAST YEAR, MOST OF WHOM CAME
FROM WITHIN PERU. LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE NOW
HOPING FOR FIFTEEN THOUSAND EASTER WEEK VISITORS
NEXT APRIL. TOURISM DURING THE REST OF YEAR IS
STILL LIMITED, BUT WORD IS GETTING OUT THAT THE
SITUATION HAS IMPROVED, AND SMALL GROUPS OF
FOREIGN TOURISTS HAVE VISITED AYACUCHO DURING
THE PAST YEAR.

-------------------
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
-------------------

11. (C) FOUR UNIVERSITY STUDENT LEADERS ALSO
PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING WITH THE RECTOR.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT FEDERATION
EXPRESSED CYNICISM REGARDING PERU'S PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES, AND EXPLAINED THAT HE DID NOT
SUPPORT ANY OF THEM BECAUSE NONE OF THEM
APPEARED TO BE SINCERELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE
WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE IN AYACUCHO. HE EXPLAINED
THAT THE MAJOR CONCERN OF STUDENTS IN AYACUCHO
WAS THE LACK OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES AFTER
GRADUATION. CURRENTLY, THE TWO MAIN SOURCES OF
JOBS IN AYACUCHO WERE IN THE ARTISAN TRADE OR IN
THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR AS TEACHERS OR LAWYERS.
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE UNITED STATES, HE PAUSED
BEFORE SIMPLY STATING THAT HE VIEWED IT AS "AN
ADVANCED COUNTRY."

---------------------
SHINING PATH'S SHADOW
---------------------

12. (C) SEVERAL AYACUCHO RESIDENTS NOTED TO
POLOFF THAT SENDERO WAS NO LONGER ACTIVE THERE.
HOWEVER, A MILITARY OFFICIAL EXPLAINED THAT
THERE MIGHT STILL BE SENDERO SUPPORTERS IN
AYACUCHO, BUT THEY ARE NOT OUT IN THE OPEN AND
HAVE NOT BEEN ENGAGING IN VIOLENT ACTS. SENDERO
FOUNDER PROFESSOR ABIMAEL GUZMAN IS STILL
REMEMBERED IN AYACUCHO. RECTOR ENRIQUE
GONZALEZ, A FORMER STUDENT OF GUZMAN'S, RECALLED
THAT THE SENDERO LEADER WAS NOT A TALKATIVE
TYPE, WHICH HE JOKINGLY REFERRED TO AS THE TYPE
TO BE AFRAID OF. THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY
TUNA (TROUBADOUR-TYPE SINGING GROUP) INDICATED
TO POLOFF THAT HE, TOO, STUDIED UNDER GUZMAN,
WHO HE REMEMBERED AS A VERY GOOD PROFESSOR. HE
ADDED THAT GUZMAN WAS A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE
TUNA GROUP, AND ESPECIALLY ENJOYED IT WHEN THE
GROUP PERFORMED THE THEME FROM "ZORBA THE
GREEK," WHICH GUZMAN DANCED TO ON A VIDEO
CAPTURED BY SECURITY FORCES IN 1991.

13. (C) A FORMER MAYOR SAID THAT FORMER SENDERO
LEADER ABIMAEL GUZMAN'S WIFE AUGUSTA LA TORRE,
WHO DIED IN 1989, STILL HAD RELATIVES IN
AYACUCHO. (A RECENTLY CAPTURED SENDERO LEADER
HAS INFORMED POLICE THAT GUZMAN ACTUALLY HAD HIS
WIFE KILLED.) A LOCAL JOURNALIST NOTED THAT LA
TORRE'S PARENTS NOW LIVE IN SWEDEN. GUZMAN WAS
ORIGINALLY FROM AREQUIPA AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY
BLOOD RELATIVES IN AYACUCHO.

14. (C) WITH THE CASE OF FORMER SENDERO HUMAN
RIGHTS ACTIVIST GUADALUPE CCALLACUNTO, WHO
DISAPPEARED IN AYACUCHO IN 1990, SHORTLY
APPEARING BEFORE THE INTER-AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION, POLOFF ASKED SEVERAL AYACUCHO
RESIDENTS IF THEY REMEMBERED HER CASE. A PUBLIC
MINISTRY EMPLOYEE AND A UNIVERSITY STUDENT BOTH
REMEMBERED HER AND SAID SHE WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE
BEEN KILLED BY THE MILITARY.

-------
COMMENT
-------

15. (C) A KEY CONCERN OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AND
RESIDENTS APPEARS TO BE LETTING THE OUTSIDE
WORLD KNOW ABOUT THE IMPROVED SECURITY SITUATION
IN AYACUCHO, AND THUS IMPROVING TOURISM AND
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION EFFORTS
IN THE AREA. WITH LATENT SUPPORT FOR SENDERO IN
AYACUCHO STILL NOT COMPLETELY ERADICATED, THE
PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FOCUSING HEAVILY ON
LOCAL NEEDS AND GRIEVANCES. TO DO OTHERWISE
WOULD ENHANCE FRUSTRATION WITH THE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT IN LIMA, WHICH WAS A KEY FACTOR IN
SENDERO'S INITIAL GROWTH.

ADAMS

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