A New Threat of Terror in the Western Hemisphere

In: SAIS Review, Band 23, Heft 1, S. 1-17

Abstract

In its relations with Peru, the US has historically placed greatest emphasis on fighting the war on drugs. As Sendero Luminoso, the Shining Path, led an insurgency against the Peruvian government in the 1980s & 1990s, the US provided ample support against the terrorists located in the jungle, especially those participating in the drug trade. But Peru's victory over terrorism then was due more to improved police intelligence & increased public investment; rather than success in the war on drugs. Now, in the midst of economic troubles & a difficult transition back to democracy in Peru, the Shining Path has made a resurgence. The US again faces a choice about how to proceed -- to continue focusing on the war on drugs or to provide sustained levels of investment in Peru's economy & political institutions, thereby turning this war on terror into a war on poverty. 1 Map. Adapted from the source document.