The Conflict

In the 1980s in Peru, Sendero Luminoso (the Shining Path) was a feared and brutal revolutionary organization. Still known for kidnapping and murder in support of its cause, it no longer threatens to topple the Peruvian government. Leader Abimael Gúzman Reynoso, also known as Comrade Gonzalo, a charismatic scholar, believed and taught the Maoist philosophy of violent agrarian revolution.

Political

• The Shining Path is a communist (Maoist) organization and supports the radical redistribution of land and other resources.
• Many of Peru's Catholics embraced, for a time, liberation theology, which advocated on behalf of the poor and persecuted, using the Christian scriptures as justification.
• Opposition parties have been periodically outlawed in Peru, leading to increased radical political beliefs.

Economic

• The Peruvian government was unable to address issues of trade and...