Internal conflict in Peru

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; Low-level activity; 9 August 2001 – present
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; North Korea; Russia; Spain; United States;	Shining Path (PCP-SL) 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;	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. 50,000 to 70,000 people were killed, making it the bloodiest war in the country's independent history. This includes many civilians who were deliberately targeted by all factions. The Indigenous peoples were disproportionately targeted, with 75% of those killed speaking Quechua as their native language.

Since 2000, the number of deaths has dropped significantly and recently the conflict has become somewhat dormant. The conflict is also characterized by serious violations of human rights.