2023-10-27 12:00:00
Most of the bloodthirsty leaders of the Shining Path and MRTA terrorist groups who have served time have a common denominator: They leave the country and prefer to live abroad.
This behavior became evident this week when it was revealed with the “Las Gardenias” case, in which four former members of the MRTA leadership, including its top leader Victor Polay Campos (today with a life sentence), are involved.
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The Judiciary has already ordered 18 months of preventive detention once morest them, however, all of them remain outside the country, but they are not the only ones.
Up to six former terrorist leaders, both from the MRTA and Sendero Luminoso (SL), traveled abroad following completing their sentences.
Víctor Polay Campos, top leader of the terrorist organization MRTA, is serving a life sentence. (ANDINE)
“Las Gardenias” Case
At least four former MRTA terrorist leaders, who held senior positions within the organization, decided to leave the country once released by the authorities.
These are the cases of María Lucero Cumpa Miranda, Alberto Gálvez Olaechea, Peter Cárdenas Schulte and Lino Manrique Tuya. All of them left Peru following serving sentences for terrorism of up to 25 years in prison. According to the Public Ministry, those mentioned live in Spain, France, Sweden and French Guyana, respectively.
Currently, however, they face an investigation for alleged qualified homicide and aggravated terrorism, along with Víctor Polay Campos (top leader of the MRTA, now imprisoned) for the “Las Gardenias” case.
The crime occurred in 1989, in Tarapoto (San Martín), when a group of emerretistas entered the “Las Gardenias” nightclub and murdered eight people following violently removing them from the premises.
For this reason, last Tuesday the 24th, the Judiciary issued 18 months of preventive detention once morest the four aforementioned ex-emerretistas. Likewise, it ordered the corresponding location and capture procedures at the national and international level.
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In detail
María Cumpa, Alberto Gálvez, Peter Cárdenas and Lino Manrique were key pieces of the MRTA. Some of them even founded the terrorist organization.
The group made up two emerretista bodies: the Central Committee and the National Executive Committee. From there, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, they orchestrated and executed a program called “Social Cleansing.” This plan was intended to “eliminate” members of the LGBTI community, criminals and people dedicated to prostitution, among others.
The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR), presented in 2003, stated that the MRTA urged these people to “amend their lives” through its weekly newspaper called “Cambio.”
On the other hand, while Cumpa and Gálvez joined the terrorist organization from its beginnings, in 1982, Cárdenas Schulte (alias “Alejandro” or “José”) and Manrique (alias “Joselo”) confessed, through different proceedings, to having been founding members of the group.
Within the senior leadership, in addition, Cumpa Miranda and Manrique Tuya also led, at different times, the North Eastern Front. In this instance, the first was known as “Liliana.” Gálvez Olaechea, for his part, was a member of the Metropolitan Regional Committee.
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More cases
In addition to those mentioned, there is a terrorist who has already served her sentence and left the country to seek to bury her criminal past. This is Maritza Garrido Lecca.
She was sentenced to 25 years in prison, which expired on September 17, 2017, following harboring the bloodthirsty terrorist and leader of Sendero Luminoso (SL), Abimael Guzmán Reinoso, in her home; and his partner and second in command in the group, Elena Iparraguirre. The latest information regarding Garrido Lecca is that she has been in Argentina since July 2022.
The one who also traveled to the same country following serving her sentence, while still in the middle of a judicial process, was Martha Huatay. “Comrade Rosa” was a member of “Socorro Popular”: a group in charge of the legal defense of detained SL members. In addition, she was dedicated to organizing Sendero attacks.
She was declared dead on September 10 of last year in Argentina and, therefore, the criminal action once morest her for the attack perpetrated by SL on Tarata Street (Miraflores) in 1992 was declared extinct. On the list of captured hikers and who achieved their freedom also includes Carlos Inchaustegui.
He, along with Garrido Lecca, were in charge of mobilizing the terrorists sheltered in the house and had rented the house where they were detained. Finally, he regained his freedom in 2014 and, according to Reniec, currently resides in Lima.
The Peruvian State recognized the death of Martha Huatay in Argentina.
Driven out
Other cases also ended up abroad, but not by their will. On November 30, 1995, American Lori Berenson was captured for planning the occupation of Congress by the MRTA.
At the time of his arrest, Berenson was carrying a press accreditation from the Legislature. At first she was sentenced to life imprisonment and then the sentence was varied to 20 years in prison. She served 15 years in prison and five on parole.
At the end of her sentence, she was expelled to the United States along with the son she had with her husband, also an emerretista Aníbal Apari. Added to this list of expelled people is the case of Jaime Castillo Petruzzi.
The former MRTA member was sentenced to 23 years in prison following being found guilty of the kidnapping of businessman Raúl Hiraoka Torres and the execution of the latter’s bodyguard.
The authorities also identified that Castillo and three other emerretistas carried out the kidnappings of up to twelve businessmen.
After serving his sentence in the Miguel Castro Castro maximum security prison, he was released and expelled to Chile, his country of origin, in 2016.
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Perspective
On the subject, José Baella, the former head of the Counter-Terrorism Directorate of the National Police (Dircote), told this newspaper that for former terrorist leaders and others it is a “tendency to leave the country”, because in this way they evade responsibilities in procedures in course.
“That is a reality that has been happening in the country. And it happens because there is no follow-up following their releases,” he told Correo.
The specialist pointed out that this measure should be contemplated in a “policy to combat terrorism.” He also explained that in other countries, for example Germany, similar actions are taken once morest this type of case.
“Generally, (those released) flee to certain countries, especially Europe, where there are different NGOs or people who believe that there was a war in Peru, or something similar, when clearly that was not the case. What happened here was that terrorist organizations attacked the Peruvian State, the population. So, these trips are an always trend, escaping to countries of a certain world to avoid criminal responsibilities,” he indicated.
Baella also warned of situations such as indoctrination. Days ago, the Dircote carried out an operation in which a family clan of seven members was arrested, including an ex-convict from SL, who manipulated children with the Shining Path ideology.
“The true anti-terrorism policy is multisectoral. The participation of different ministries is necessary. It is also true that Dircote does not have adequate logistics to implement monitoring of these people. The governments think that the war has already been won in the military aspect, but in the political and ideological aspect this is not the case,” he pointed out.
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