Ayacucho, Peru, May 25, 2021 / 17:01 pm
The president of the Peruvian bishops’ conference has condemned Sunday’s killing of 16 persons by the Shining Path, a communist rebel group.
The May 23 attack took place in San Miguel del Ene in the Valle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro, about 180 miles north of Ayacucho.
The bodies of those killed were found in bars. They had bullet holes in them, and some were burned. Earlier reports indicated 14 or 18 persons had been killed, but Peru’s defense minister has confirmed that there were 16 victims.
The bodies were found with leaflets saying the Shining Path would "Clean out Vraem and Peru of the hangouts of bad actors, parasites and corrupt people,” and urged against voting in the upcoming general election, and particularly against voting for Keiko Fujimori.