Peruvian prison massacres

Ex prision El Frontón

Location| Lima, Peru
Date| June 18, 1986 (1986-06-18)–June 19, 1986 (1986-06-19)
Target| Senderistas prisoners including Ecuadorians and Bolivians who were collaborators of the Shining Path

Attack type

| Massacres, mass executions
Deaths| 224–300 executed[1][2][3]
Perpetrators| Peruvian Army
Peruvian Navy
Peruvian Republican Guard
Motive| Anticommunism
Peruvian nationalism
Antiterrorism
Anti-Ecuadorian sentiment
Anti-Bolivian sentiment

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Peruvian conflict

Clashes and Operations

* Hotel
* ISA
* Ancón
* Palacio
* María Elena Moyano
* Hipócrates
* Huascaura
* Monterrico-1990
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* Café
* Victoria
* Deslinde 1995
* Japanese embassy
* Chavín de Huántar
* Cerco 99
* Hatun Asha
* Crepúsculo
* Camaleón
* Llochegua
* Patriota

Attacks and Incidents

* Chuschi
* San Martín de Porres
* Lima
* Northeastern Front
* Ayacucho
* Vilcashuamán
* 1st Callao
* Korean embassy
* 1st Uchiza
* Cuzco
* San Martín
* Juanjuí
* Soviet embassy
* 2nd Callao
* 2nd Uchiza
* 3rd Uchiza
* Aguaytía
* Frecuencia Latina
* Bolivian embassy
* Peruvian embassy
* Mariflores
* Santiago de Surco

Massacres

* Lucanamarca
* Putis
* Accomarca
* Noche de las Gardenias
* Picuruyacu
* Aucayacu
* La Hoyada
* Prisons
* 1st San Juan de Lurigancho
* 3rd Callao
* 4th Callao
* Barrios Altos
* Santa
* La Cantuta
* 2nd San Juan de Lurigancho
* San Miguel del Ene

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First presidency (1985-1990)

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* Internal conflict in Peru
* Lost Decade
* Latin American debt crisis
* Macroeconomic populism
* Peruvian prison massacres

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* Peru–United States Trade Promotion Agreement
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* 2008 Peru oil scandal
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The Peruvian prison massacres occurred on June 18-19, 1986, after a series of riots in the San Pedro, Santa Mónica, and El Frontón prisons in Lima and Callao. The military repression of these riots resulted in the loss of at least 224 to 300 lives.[2][3][4][5]

## Antecedents

[edit]

Shining Path poster of the prison at El Frontón

During the internal conflict in Peru, the bloody campaign by the Peruvian Maoist group Shining Path was responsible for the deaths of thousands of inhabitants of the rural regions of Peru. The Military of Peru, which had been dispatched to put down the insurgency, was also responsible for the deaths of thousands of Peruvians, as it treated campesinos as potential terrorists or terrorist sympathizers.[citation needed]

At the beginning of his 1985-1990 term, President Alan García demonstrated an interest in changing the counter-subversive strategy of his predecessor, Fernando Belaúnde Terry, with the purpose of reducing human rights violations against the civilian population, by calling on the civil society to propose solutions to the problem of political violence in Peru. Nevertheless, his government authorized a swift and violent takeover of the prisons to regain control, placing Peru's human rights violations back into the national and international spotlight.

## Riots

[edit]

On June 18, 1986, at approximately 6:00 AM, prisoners rioted within multiple prison facilities in Lima and Callao. The riots took place while a congress of the Socialist International, of which Alan García's APRA political party was a member, was being conducted in Lima. The prisoners in San Juan de Lurigancho, El Frontón, and the women's prison in Santa Mónica, who had tacit control of the prison interiors, rose up and took prison guards and three journalists as hostages. They demanded the immediate release of 500 people imprisoned for terrorism. García and his government were caught off-guard by the uprising. At 10:00 AM an emergency cabinet session began with the participation of García and military commanders. Three hours later, the Minister of the Interior, Abel Salinas, announced that if the prisoners did not surrender, the prisons would be retaken by force. That day, the Shining Path launched a wave of attacks in Lima that left several dead.

## Negotiations

[edit]

The government of Peru sent a negotiating commission formed by Caesar Samamé, Augusto Rodriguez Rabanal and Fernando Cabieses, arriving at El Frontón Prison at 4:30 PM. However, negotiations did not bring about results.

## Assault

[edit]

6:00 PM, as the negotiations failed, the order to assault the prisons was given. The first attack began in the women's prison at Santa Mónica, where the Republican Guard, which at the time was responsible for protecting Peru's borders and prisons, regained control relatively quickly. They demolished a wall and sent tear and paralyzing gases into the prison. In two hours the hostages were released, and two people had died.

At midnight, June 19, the assault on the prison on the island of El Frontón commenced. The assault was carried out under the command of the Peruvian Navy. The director of the prison, a judge, and the public prosecutor had protested against the Navy's intervention, and declared that they were no longer responsible for what occurred inside the prison as a result of the assault. Meanwhile, from the island of El Frontón the vice-minister of the Interior, Agustín Mantilla, announced that the island was under the control of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces as it had been declared a restricted military zone. 3 members of the Peruvian navy died during the assault.[6]

Later, the Navy, with Naval Infantry support, attacked the "Blue Ward" of El Frontón, which was where Shining Path guerrilla members were imprisoned. During the assault three members of the Peruvian Armed Forces, one of the hostages, and 135 prisoners were killed. Simultaneously, Republican Guard SWAT team arrived at Lurigancho prison, and placed explosives around the outer wall of the Industrial Pavilion Part prison where the Shining Path guerrillas held hostages. A joint offensive by troops of the Republican Guard and the Peruvian Army followed. At 3:00 am, after heavy fighting with guns and grenades, the guerrillas surrendered. Hours later, numerous prisoners that occupied the building lay dead: most had been executed, one by one, by a shot to the nape of the neck.

According to a cable from the United States Department of State, "at least 100 prisoners were summarily executed."[7] The Peruvian government itself concluded that all 124 rebellious prisoners in Lurigancho prison died in the assault, and that no fewer than 90 were victims of extrajudicial executions.[4][5]

The national and international scandal that resulted from this multiple crime was enormous. During President García's delayed visit to the scene of the events, he declared that there were two possibilities: "either they [the authors of the massacre] go or I go." Nevertheless, nothing was ever done to punish the guilty. Luis Giampietri, the naval officer in command of the operation, later became Alan García's vice president.

## Congressional inquiry

[edit]

The ensuing international outrage exerted enormous pressure on the Peruvian Government to establish an independent commission of inquiry. The Peruvian Congress quickly moved on to approve a special-mandated body in August 1986, but political negotiations regarding its composition dragged the appointment of its member for a whole year. Finally, in August 1987 the ad-hoc commission of inquiry’ configuration was agreed comprising 6 senators and 7 representatives.[8] The 13 members-body was comprised by twelve men and one woman and its political outline assigned 6 seats for opposition parties and 7 for the Government party (APRA) and allies.[9] However, the chair was yielded to one opposition figure, Senator Rolando Ames Cobián.[10] The commission was granted 4 months to complete its probe and ultimately became deadlocked between two irreconcilable blocks: one supported by the opposition congressmen's that criticised the state's response[8] and one loyal to the regime, which wanted to avoid attributing responsibility for the abuses.

## See also

[edit]

* National Penitentiary Institute (Peru)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Así ocurrió: En 1986 ocurre la matanza de los penales". El Comercio. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
2. ^ a b "EL JUICIO FINAL: La matanza del Frontón". La República. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
3. ^ a b "La masacre en los penales" (PDF). Debate. XX (100). Apoyo Comunicaciones: 94. Mayo-Junio de 1998. Retrieved 30 April 2023. `{{cite journal}}`: Check date values in: `|date=` (help)
4. ^ a b "World Prison Massacres". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008.
5. ^ a b Weschler, Joanna (1993). The Human Rights Watch global report on prisons. Human Rights Watch. p. 93. ISBN 1-56432-101-0.
6. ^ Slocovich Pardo, Ivan (2017-12-10). ""Lo de El Frontón fue un combate, tuvimos 3 muertos"". Correo.
7. ^ "Garcia and the Military: Plea for International Support" (1986 State 205132). Hosted by the National Security Archive. June 28, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
8. ^ a b "Commission of Inquiry: Peru 86. Truth Commissions Digital Collection". United States Institute of Peace. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
9. ^ Informe sobre el caso de los penales (PDF) (in Spanish). Peru: CEP Centro de Estudios y Publicaciones, Revista Paginas. 1987. p. 1\. "Opposition members: Senator Rolando Ames Cobián (IU), Senator Jorge del Prado (IU), Representative Agustin Haya de la Torre (IU), Representative Oscar Ventura (IU), Representative Javier Bedoya (PPC) and Representative Aureo Zegarra (AP). Government and allies members: Senator Cesar Delgado (DC), Senator Miguel Angel Mufarech (Independent) and 2 Senators and 3 Representatives from the ruling APRA party."
10. ^ "Rolando Ames Cobián es nombrado profesor emérito PUCP en reconocimiento a su destacada labor como docente y al servicio de los derechos humanos". IDEHPUCP. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Propaganda graphics on prison massacres in Peru
* Las ejecuciones extrajudiciales en el penal de El Frontón y Lurigancho (1986) (in Spanish) \- Truth and Reconciliation Commission
* Peru in "The Eye of the Storm" \- The National Security Archive. Declassified U.S. Documentation on Human Rights Abuses and Political Violence. National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 64. Edited by Tamara Feinstein, Director, Peru Documentation Project. January 22, 2002.

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Internal conflict in Peru (1980–present)

Participants

Timeline

Key aspects

* 1968 Peruvian coup d'état
* Revolutionary Government
* Founding of the Shining Path
* Limazo
* Tacnazo
* Chuschi ballot burning incident
* Deng Xiaoping's dogs incident
* Assault of Ayacucho prison
* 1983 Lucanamarca massacre
* Putis massacre
* Accomarca massacre
* Peruvian prison massacres
* 1986 Soviet embassy attack in Lima
* Aucayacu massacre
* Assassination of Juan Carlos Vega Llona
* 1987 North Korean embassy attack in Lima
* 1989 Callao bombing
* Three Martyrs of Chimbote
* Barrios Altos massacre
* 1992 Peruvian self-coup
* 1992 Bolivian embassy attack in Lima
* 1992 Peruvian embassy attack in Stockholm
* Santa massacre
* Frecuencia Latina bombing
* Tarata bombing
* La Cantuta massacre
* Japanese embassy hostage crisis
* Operation Chavín de Huántar
* Locumba uprising
* 2001 Peru shootdown
* 2002 Lima bombing
* Andahuaylazo
* Hatun Asha ambush
* Llochegua Clashes
* Founding of the MPCP
* San Miguel del Ene attack
* Operation Patriot

Government policies and actions

* Peruvian Agrarian Reform
* Judiciary reform in Peru under Alberto Fujimori
* Economic policy of the Alberto Fujimori administration
* National Population Program
* Forced sterilization in Peru
* Truth and Reconciliation Commission
* Arrest and trial of Alberto Fujimori

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Illegal drug trade

* Illegal drug trade in Peru
* War on drugs
* Narcoterrorism
* Coca eradication
* Operation Snowcap

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Related

* Cold War
* Terruqueo
* San Cristóbal of Huamanga University
* VRAEM
* Huallaga River
* Women in the internal conflict in Peru

Shining Path and remnants
| Government of Peru | MRTA

* Communist Party of Peru – Shining Path
* Militarized Communist Party of Peru
* Huallaga Faction (until 2012)
* Red Mantaro Base Committee
* FARC-EP in Peru

* * *

Linked to

* Libya (until 2011)
* Hezbollah
* MOVADEF
* FUDEPP
* International Communist League
* Ethnocacerist movement
* Plurinational Association of Tawantinsuyo Reservists
* Revolutionary Internationalist Movement (until 2012)
* FARC dissidents
* United Democratic Andean Revolutionary Front of Peru
* Peruvian drug traffickers

* Peruvian Armed Forces:
* Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Peruvian Marines
* National Police
* Sinchis
* National Intelligence Service
* Special Intelligence Group
* Other:
* Rondas campesinas
* Sole National Central of Peasant Rounds of Peru
* Grupo Colina
* Rodrigo Franco Command

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Linked to

* United States
* DEA
* China
* Colombia
* Cuba
* North Korea
* Russia
* Spain
* Soviet Union
(until 1991)

* Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
(until 1997)

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Linked to

* Cuba
* Libya
* Nicaragua
* Sandinista National Liberation Front
* Soviet Union (until 1991)
* 19th of April Movement
* Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front

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Prison riots and uprisings

19th century|

* 1804 Castle Hill convict rebellion
* 1830 Bathurst Rebellion
* 1846 Cooking Pot Uprising

20th century|

* 1944 Cowra breakout
* 1946 Battle of Alcatraz
* 1953 Norilsk uprising
* 1953 Vorkuta uprising
* 1954 Kengir uprising
* 1963 Pulau Senang prison riots
* 1971 Attica Prison riot
* 1974 Huntsville Prison siege
* 1980 New Mexico State Penitentiary riot
* 1985 Badaber Uprising
* 1986 Peruvian prison massacres
* 1987 Atlanta prison riots
* 1988 Fremantle Prison riot
* 1989 Polish prison riots
* 1990 Leopoldov prison uprising
* 1990 Strangeways Prison riot
* 1992 Carandiru massacre
* 1997 Khujand prison riot
* 2000 F-type prisons strike and riots

21st century|

* 2001 Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
* 2009 Mexico prison riot
* 2012 Altamira prison brawl
* 2012 Apodaca prison riot
* 2012 Yare prison riot
* 2012 Welikada prison riot
* 2013 Uribana prison riot
* 2013 Palmasola prison riot
* 2015 Kaohsiung Prison riot
* 2016 Topo Chico prison riot
* 2016 Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo riot
* 2017 Kidapawan jail siege
* 2017 Brazil prison riots
* 2017 Makala jailbreak
* 2018 Valencia fire
* 2019 Acarigua prison riot
* 2019 Amazonas prison riots
* 2019 Altamira prison riot
* 2019 Cameroon prison riots
* 2020 Guanare prison riot
* 2020 Mahara prison riot
* 2021 February Ecuadorian prison riots
* 2021 September Guayaquil prison riot
* 2021 November Guayaquil prison riot
* 2021 Tula prison break
* 2022 Battle of al-Hasakah
* 2022 Tuluá prison riot
* 2023 Támara prison riot
* 2024 Makala jailbreak attempt

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