Weekly Report - 26 April 2012 (WR-12-16)

President Ollanta Humala is poised to launch the biggest military offensive in over a decade against the faction of Sendero Luminoso operating in the valley of the Apurímac and Ene rivers (Vrae), according to sources cited by Reuters news agency. There is certainly widespread public support for such a move. A survey by the national pollster Ipsos Apoyo this week showed that an overwhelming 91% of the public are in favour of deploying additional security forces to the area where the six-day kidnapping of 36 workers for the Camisea gas consortium occurred [WR-12-15], and 72% fear a resurgence of terrorism in Peru.

Reuters cited an unnamed source in Peru’s military as revealing that there was “very strong political pressure” to achieve results against Sendero in the Vrae after the kidnapping episode as “the balance for us is not favourable; there were deaths, injuries, and a downed helicopter”. This somewhat contradicts the official government line that the operation was “impeccable”. Reuters also maintained that indigenous communities were being moved from the area in order to avoid civilian casualties when the offensive began.

The Ipsos poll showed 66% approval for the government’s handling of the operation to free the Camisea hostages, although exactly half of all respondents felt that a ransom was paid and only 36% bought the government line that the guerrillas had released their hostages because they were surrounded.

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