Internal conflict in Peru

Not to be confused with Peruvian political crisis (2016–present).

Internal conflict in Peru
Part of the Cold War (1980–1991) and the war on drugs (1980–present)
Areas of Shining Path activity in Peru
Date Main phase 17 May 1980 – 14 July 1999 (19 years, 58 days) Low-level activity 9 August 2001 – present (25 years, 36 days) Location Peru Result First phase: Government victory Fall and dissolution of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and the Shining Path Exile of communist militants abroad Second phase: Ongoing Arrest and trial of Alberto Fujimori Establishment of Shining Path factions in 2001 (CBMR) and 2004 (CRH) Disestablishment of the CRH in 2012 Establishment of the MPCP in 2018 Death of Abimael Guzmán in prison Ongoing insurgency in the VRAEM Peruvian security crisis since 2021
Belligerents
Government of Peru Supported by: Rondas campesinas ASPRET (since 2023) International support: Colombia Japan Russia Spain United States North Korea	Shining Path (PCP–SL) (1980–2000) CBMR (since 2001) CRH (2004–2012) FARC dissidents Supported by: FUDEPP (since 2014) Hezbollah (since 2016) (Hezbollah in Latin America) ICL (since 2022) Libya (until 2011) ANO (1988) FARC–EP (until 2016) MOVADEF (2009–2024) RIM (1984–2012) MPCP Supported by: China (self-claim) ASPRET (until 2022) Ethnocacerists Supported by: ASPRET (2011–2022) Hezbollah MPCP (until 2022) FAR-EPT MRTA (1982–1997) Supported by: Cuba (denied) Libya Soviet Union FMLN M-19 FSLN
Commanders and leaders
Main phase: Fernando Belaúnde Alan García Alberto Fujimori Vladimiro Montesinos Second phase: Valentín Paniagua Alejandro Toledo Alan García Ollanta Humala Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Martín Vizcarra Manuel Merino Francisco Sagasti Pedro Castillo Dina Boluarte José Jerí José María Balcázar Keiko Fujimori	Main phase: Abimael Guzmán  # Augusta La Torre X Elena Yparraguirre  Osmán Morote  Martha Huatay  Óscar Ramírez  Víctor Polay  Peter Cárdenas  Néstor Cerpa † Miguel Rincón # Américo Gilvonio # Alberto Gálvez  Second phase: Víctor Quispe Jorge Quispe † Martín Quispe † Alejando Borda † Florabel Vargas Comrade Basilio † Comrade Antonio † Florindo Flores  Other leaders: Antauro Humala  Marco Vizcarra Ruiz
Units involved
Peruvian Armed Forces Joint Command CIOEC FEC Peruvian Army CRF Grupo Colina Peruvian Navy IMAP Peruvian Air Force Peruvian Police DINOES DIRCOTE GEIN Sinchis	People's Guerrilla Army (EGP) Revolutionary Armed Forces of Peru (FARP) Tupacamarist People's Army (EPT)
Strength
1980–2000: 35,000+ troops 250,000 ronderos (1993) 2000–now: 10,000 troops 2,000 ronderos	1980–2000: 180,000 senderistas rebels 300–2,000 emerretistas rebels 2000–now: 20,000 senderistas 3,000 emerretistas 30,000 criminals
Casualties and losses
30,000 casualties	109,000 casualties
Total civilian casualties: 50,000–70,000 killed or missing 600,000 displaced

The internal conflict in Peru is an armed conflict between the Government of Peru and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path. The conflict's main phase began on 17 May 1980 and ended in December 2000. From 1982 to 1997 the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) waged its own insurgency as a Marxist–Leninist rival to the Shining Path.

As fighting intensified in the 1980s, Peru had one of the worst human rights records in the Western Hemisphere and experienced thousands of forced disappearances while both the Peruvian Armed Forces and Shining Path acted with impunity, sometimes massacring entire villages. Fifty-thousand to seventy-thousand people were killed, making it the bloodiest war in the country's independent history. This includes many civilians who were targeted by all factions. The Indigenous peoples were disproportionately attacked, with 75% of those killed speaking Quechua as their native language. The conflict is characterized by multiple serious violations of human rights.

Since 2000, the number of deaths has dropped significantly, with the conflict becoming somewhat dormant.