US embassy cable - 85LIMA5526

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 05526 
 
TERREP 
DIA FOR IR BRANCH, PANAMA FOR ADS CLARKE 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, PREL, PE 
SUBJECT:  SENDERO CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF 
"ARMED STRUGGLE" 
 
REF:  LIMA 5476 
 
1.  IN MOST IMPRESSIVE SERIES OF COORDINATED ATTACKS 
IN LIMA SINCE JULY, 1984, TERRORISTS, PRESUMED TO 
BE SENDERISTAS CELEBRATING FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF 
THEIR MAY 18, 1980 "DECLARATION OF WAR" ON GOP, 
STRUCK AT VARIOUS DIPLOMATIC AND BUSINESS TARGETS 
IN LIMA AREA NIGHT OF MAY 16.  IN ADDITION TO 
DYNAMITE CHARGES THROWN AT RESIDENCE OF U.S. AMBASSADOR 
AND AT PERUVIAN-NORTH AMERICAN CULTURIAL INSTITUTE 
(IPNCA) (REFTEL), 3 CHARGES DESTROYED MAIN DOOR 
AND PART OF ENCLOSURE WALL OF CHINESE (PRC) EMBASSY 
IN SAN ISIDRO.  PRESS REPORTS THAT BOMBS WERE ALSO THROWN 
AT REAR OF SOVIET EMBASSY IN SAN ISIDRO HAVE BEEN 
DENIED BY PERUVIAN POLICE.  REPORTED ATTACKS ON CUBAN 
AND ISRAELI EMBASSIES HAVE ALSO BEEN DISPROVED (IN 
ISRAELI CASE, BY EMBOFF CALLING ISRAELI EMBASSY). 
IN ALL INCIDENTS INVOLVING DIPLOMATIC CHARGES, DAMAGE 
WAS MINOR; ONE EMPLOYEE OF PRC EMBASSY WAS REPORTED 
TO BE SLIGHTLY WOUNDED BY FLYING GLASS. 
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2.  ACCORDING TO OUTLINE OF EVENTS REPORTED IN PRESS, 
SERIES OF ATTACKS BEGAN ABOUT 2100, WHEN PARTIAL 
BLACKOUT OCCURRED IN PORTIONS OF LIMA DUE TO DYNAMITING 
OF AT LEAST TWO ELECTRICAL TOWERS, AT MATUCANA 
AND HUINCO, IN MANTARO VALLEY POWER GRID.  PORTIONS 
OF MIRAFLORES, SAN ISIDRO AND CENTRAL LIMA WERE 
AMONG AREAS AFFECTED, AND BROWN-OUTS OCCURRED 
SPORADICALLY IN REST OF CITY.  SHORTLY THEREAFTER, 
SHOOTING OCCURRED AND DYNAMITE WAS THROWN AT TWO 
PERUVIAN MARINE POSTS, IN UPPER-CLASS SUBURB OF 
CHACARILLA DEL ESTANQUE, AND IN JICARILLA, IN SUBURB 
OF SAN MARTIN DE PORRES.  IN BOTH CASES, SHOOTING 
RESULTED BETWEEN POLICE AND SUBVERSIVES,  WITH TWO 
POLICEMEN KILLED.  WE SUSPECT THAT REPORTED GUN- 
BATTLES SAID TO HAVE OCCURRED AT MINISTRY OF WAR AND 
AT 79TH GUARDIA CIVIL STATION IN CHACARILLA WERE 
DUE TO NERVOUS GUARDS FIRING IN AIR.  AT LEAST SIX 
SUSPECTS WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT JICARILLA, SOME 
OF WHOM WERE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FOUND IN NEAR-BY 
VAN.  AT ROUGHLY SAME TIME,ANOTHER ARMED GROUP TOSSED 
DYNAMITE AT MUNICIPAL OFFICES AND AT BRANCH OF 
BANCO WEISE IN SUBURB OF VILLA MARIA DE TRIUNFO, 
CAUSING DAMAGE BUT NO CASUALTIES.  DYNAMITE CHARGES 
WERE ALSO TOSSED AT TODOS SUPERMARKET IN MONTERRICO 
AND AT OFFICES OF UTILITY ELECTROLIMA IN SUBURB 
OF SAN JUAN DE LURIGANCHO, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE 
AT BOTH SITES.  SCATTERED EXPLOSIONS WERE REPORTED 
AT OTHER LOCATIONS, INCLUDING SAN MARCOS UNIVERSITY 
AND PLAZA DE ITALIA.  FINALLY, SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS 
ILLUMINATED LARGE HAMMER AND SICKLE DISPLAYS ON 
HILLS ABOVE WORKING-CLASS SUBURBS OF EL AGUSTINO AND 
VILLA EL SALVADOR.  IN LATTER CASE, POLICE ARRIVED 
AT SITE QUICKLY AND ARRESTED AN UNDETERMINED NUMBER 
OF PERSONS TRYING TO FLEE THE AREA. 
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3.  AT OUTSET OF WAVE OF ATTACKS, POLICE RUSHED 
REINFORCEMENTS TO HOMES OF MEMBERS OF NATIONAL 
ELECTIONS BOARD (JNE), WHO HAVE BEEN RECEIVING 
TELEPHONE DEATH THREATS FOR LAST TWO WEEKS.  AT 
HOME OF JNE SECRETARY GENERAL OSWALDO CORPANCHO, 
POLICE REPORTED THAT A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO 
HAD BEEN APPROACHING HOUSE FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS 
PILED INTO SAME CAR AND FLED WHEN POLICE ARRIVED. 
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4.  COMMENT:  VARIETY AND COORDINATION OF ATTACKS 
SUGGESTS THAT, AFTER A PERIOD OF RELATIVE QUIESENCE, 
SENDERO LUMINOSO HAS AGAIN REPLENISHED ITS RANKS 
AND REGAINED ATTACK CAPABILITY IN LIMA, IN SPITE 
OF ARRESTS OF VARIOUS KEY MEMBERS.  POLICE ARE 
UNANIMOUS IN ATTRIBUTING ATTACKS TO CELEBRATION OF 
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF "DECLARATION OF WAR."  SL HAS 
PREVIOUSLY CELEBRATED SIMILAR ANNIVERSARIES WITH 
SPECTACULAR ATTACKS.  ACTUAL ANNIVERSARY, OF COURSE, 
IS TOMORROW AND MORE VIOLENCE MAY WELL TAKE PLACE. 
EMBASSY IS TAKING ADDITIONAL SECURITY PRECAUTIONS 
(SEPTEL). 
 
JORDAN