SENDERO CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF

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. I... id: 61 date: 5/17/1985 20:17 refid: 85LIMA5526 origin: Embassy Lima classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: 85LIMA5476 header: O 172017Z MAY 85 FM AMEMBASSY LIMA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3881 INFO DIA WASHDC AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AMEMBASSY QUITO AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PN USIA WASHDC 4160 AMEMBASSY PANAMA -------------- header ends -------------- 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. - ¶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. - ¶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. - ¶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 =======================CABLE ENDS============================