Nicknamed the “Pol Pot of the Andes”, he had been serving a life sentence since 1992 after two convictions in 2006 and 2018. He was hospitalized in July.
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The historic leader of the Peruvian Maoist Guerrilla Shining Path, Abimael Guzman, died on Saturday September 11 in the prison where he was serving his life sentence, his lawyer Alfredo Crespo told AFP. “His wife was informed and requested his remains from the authorities”, he added.
The former Maoist leader, imprisoned since 1992, was serving this sentence after two convictions in 2006 and 2018. He was hospitalized in July. In a statement, the Peruvian prison authorities clarified that his death, linked to “a worsening of his state of health”, had occurred at 6:40 am (1:40 pm French time) at the high security penitentiary center of the Callao naval base, near Lima.
Abimael Guzman, founder of Peruvian rebel group Shining Path, dies at 86 https://t.co/RhMKxmUQZt pic.twitter.com/msHUYqZ6gh
– Reuters (@Reuters) September 11, 2021
The guerrilla and his lieutenants were arrested in Lima in 1992 under the presidency of Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) who launched a fierce repression against the movement. The former philosophy professor was responsible for one of the bloodiest conflicts in Latin America, which rocked Peru between 1980 and 2000, and left more than 70,000 dead and missing, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR ). The cruelty of his movement had earned him the nickname “Pol Pot of the Andes”.