Jorge Bolet, Peru 1983, Sendero Luminoso

Blue Pumpkin
May 11
2 min read

During a tour of South America in 1983, Jorge had two dates in Peru. He admited that some countries he visited were politically unstable and sometimes dangerous. However he also mentioned to his friend Mattheus Smits that these countries were known for having attentive audiences of some highly cultured people. I am aware of the general situation in Peru at this time, but I recently looked at the specific political situation in July 1983. and it was grim I need to confirm that Jorge actually went!

23 July 1983 (Saturday)

Arequipa, Peru

Schumann, Fantasiestücke

Brahms, Handel variations

Liszt, Petrarch Sonnets & Hungarian Rhapsody No.12

*Birthplace of Peruvian author and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa (1936-2025)

25 July 1983

Lima, Perú

with Peruvian conductor Armando Sánchez Málaga & Orquesta Sinfónica de la Escuela de Música.

In July 1983, Peru was in a severe political and security crisis, defined by the rapid escalation of the Maoist/terrorist Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) insurgency and a nationwide state of emergency. President Fernando Belaúnde Terry was under intense pressure, facing both armed conflict and economic damage from the El Niño phenomenon.

The Shining Path terrorised the high Andes, causing severe violence, including the April 1983 Lucanamarca massacre. By July 1983, the group was active, with the government responding with a 60-day nationwide state of emergency declared in early June 1983.

While the primary Shining Path conflict was concentrated in Ayacucho, the insurgency began to spread throughout the southern sierra, creating tension and increased security monitoring in regional hubs like Arequipa.

In early July 1983, a wave of bombings rocked Lima, creating a fear of attacks during the July 29th military parade. on 21 July there was a blackout; the terrorists successfully blacked out the capital, a common tactic used to create chaos before launching ground assaults. Following the blackout, attacks were carried out against several high-profile targets, including police stations. Jorge Chávez International Airport was targeted as part of the broader offensive.

Sendero Luminoso was founded in the late 1960s by Abimael Guzmán, a philosophy professor. They launched their "people's war" on May 17, 1980, by burning ballot boxes in the town of Chuschi, Ayacucho, on the eve of Peru's first democratic elections in over a decade.