The following is information additional to that in Response to Information Request PER28628.E of 15 January 1998.

On 27 December 1997 the Shining Path reportedly placed a car bomb in front of an electric company's office; some days earlier another car bomb had exploded in front of a municipal office in Lima (IPS 6 Jan. 1998).

A 28 January 1998 AFP report states that Oscar Ramírez Duran, also known as Feliciano and leader of a Shining Path faction called Red Path, presided over a political organization meeting at the beginning of the year to plan for year 2000. The report states that the plan, which is scheduled to start by March, includes attacks in Lima and other parts of the country, bank robberies to help finance activities and recruitment drives in Lima's poorer neighbourhoods. The IPS report also states that the Shining Path plans to target its activities in Lima's poor urban areas, as well as in six southern and northern mountainous provinces (6 Jan. 1998).

According to a 6 January 1998 Notimex report, Shining Path members failed in attempting to set off two rockets against the National Police Noncommissioned Officers College in Puerte Piedra, Lima. The report adds that authorities also found four other rockets and a two meter-long steel mortar at the scene. Shining Path leaflets praising leader Abimael Guzman, who is now incarcerated in a Callao naval-base prison, were also left behind (ibid.). In February police suspected the Shining Path of setting off a bomb at a Llama Gas distribution plant in Lima's southern district of Lurin (AFP 12 Feb. 1998).

A 30 March 1998 El Comercio report states that four female members of Shining Path's spinoff group, Comité de Familiares de Socorro Popular (Committee of the Relatives for People's Aid), were arrested by National Counterterrorism Directorate (Dincote) officers for carrying out "terrorist actions" for Red Path (Nueva Red). Those arrested were Palomino Masgo, Flor de Maria Hernandez Tamara, Susy Nelly Enriquez Cayetano and Luz Victoria Carhuavilca (ibid.). In March, Palomino Masgo, alias "Paty," a teacher in Callao, was captured in Callao's Aeropuerto neighbourhood (ibid.). Another recent arrest of Shining Path members included that of Alexis Canote Fajardo, alias Comrade Bernabe, in downtown Lima for his involvement in dynamite attacks against the Chilean, Chinese and Costa Rican embassies, and in the killings of six police officers (AFP 6 Apr. 1998).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 6 April 1998. "Peruvian Police Capture Shining Path Leader." (NEXIS)

_____. [Paris, in Spanish]. 12 February 1998. "Peru: Unidentified Persons detonate Bomb at Gas Company." (FBIS-TOT-98-043/WNC) [Accessed 17 Apr. 1998]

_____. [Paris, in Spanish]. 28 January 1998. "Peru: Shining Path Leaders Reportedly Meet to Reorganize." (FBIS-TOT-98-029) [Accessed 17 Apr. 1998]

El Comercio [Lima, in Spanish]. 30 March 1998. "Peru: Dincote Captures 4 Shining Path Members." (FBIS-TOT-98-091) [Accessed 17 Apr. 1998]

InterPress Service (IPS). 6 January 1998. Abraham Lama. "Politics-Peru: Speculation Over Guerrillas' Plans." (NEXIS)

Notimex [Mexico City]. 6 January 1998. "Shining Path Carry Out Failed Attack on Police College in Lima." (BBC News Summary 8 Jan. 1998/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Andean Newsletter [Lima]. 1998.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1998.

Latin American Regional Reports: Andean Group Report [London]. 1998.

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 1998.

Resource Centre Country File: Peru. 1998.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Global News Bank, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database).