Comrade José
Comrade José | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Shining Path (claim) | |
| Assumed office 12 February 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Comrade Alipio |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Victor Quispe Palomino 1 August 1960 Ayacucho, Peru |
| Political party | Militarized Communist Party of Peru |
| Occupation | Terrorist leader, guerilla |
| Known for | Protracted guerilla insurgency tactics |
Comrade José (Camarada José, nom de guerre of Víctor Quispe Palomino; born 1 August 1960) is a Peruvian communist militant, leader of the Militarized Communist Party of Peru, an offshoot of the Marxist–Leninist–Maoist guerrilla Shining Path. The group is present in the VRAEM region.
By late November 2007, DIRCOTE had identified Quispe Palomino as one of the ten most wanted terrorists in the Apurimac and Ene River Valley (VRAE).[1] In 2008 it was reported that captured Shining Path documents showed that Comrade Jose was claiming to be the successor of Shining Path founder Abimael Guzmán.[2] On 31 May 2009 Comrade José gave an interview to a reporter from Punto Final, a Peruvian news show. During the interview Comrade José took responsibility for Shining Path actions, admitted that he personally participated in the Lucanamarca massacre, and demonstrated a group of child soldiers under his command. Peruvian President Alan García responded by announcing that the Peruvian government would denounce the Shining Path before the United Nations and the Organization of American States for their use of child combatants.[3]
In his Punto Final interview, Comrade José also claimed that both of his parents had been members of the Shining Path, and that his father died in combat with the Rondas Campesinas while his mother was arrested. He also spoke of his youth at San Cristóbal of Huamanga University and said that he had three major combat wounds, including a bullet in his chest. He also said that he had close to 300 men under his command and they collected "war taxes" from narcotics traffickers.[4] Comrade José also called his siblings "political embarrassments." This was a reference to the fact that they collaborated with military intelligence during the capture of Comrade Feliciano.[5]
The U.S. Department of State is currently offering a reward of $5 million USD for information leading to the arrest of Victor Quispe Palomino.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Dircote identifica a los 10 terroristas más buscados del VRAE y del Alto Huallaga[permanent dead link]. 29 November 2007. La República. Accessed 13 October 2009.
- ^ El cabecilla terrorista del VRAE se autotitula sucesor de Abimael[permanent dead link]. 27 April 2008. La República. Accessed 13 October 2009.
- ^ Perú denunciará a Sendero Luminoso ante la ONU y la OEA por utilizar niños Archived 27 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. 30 May 2009. La República. Accessed 13 October 2009.
- ^ Cabecilla de Sendero Luminoso admite que cobra cupos a narcos 31 May 2009. La República. Accessed 13 October 2009.
- ^ El solapado cambio de piel de Sendero Luminoso en el VRAE Archived 18 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine. 19 April 2009. La República. Accessed 13 October 2009.
- ^ United States Department of State - Narcotics Rewards Program