The Communist Party of Perú-Shinning Path at National University Mayor of San Marcos: searching for counter-space in public space

Abstract

During the 1980s, Sendero Luminoso reached Metropolitan Lima and, as part of its war repertoire, carried out a series of actions involving the appropriation and reinterpretation of space. These actions took on a distinctive form at the National University of San Marcos. The extensive display of partisan symbols, semiotics, and behaviors projected the perception of a university dominated by the armed party and its followers. This perception became so pronounced that, beginning in 1987, the Peruvian Armed Forces repeatedly intervened in San Marcos, ultimately establishing a presence there in 1991. By 1992, following the capture of its leader, Abimael Guzmán, they dismantled any remaining Sendero leadership or materials within the university faculties. This text aims to document the methods of space appropriation employed by Sendero and assess their effectiveness through testimonies and visual archives from those who experienced the turbulent period of Peru's political violence at the end of the 20th century.