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Peru rescues 39 'slave workers' from Shining Path farm Peru rescues 39 'slave workers' from Shining Path farm
(about 5 hours later)
The Peruvian army says it has rescued 39 people from a farm where the Shining Path rebel group kept them as slaves.The Peruvian army says it has rescued 39 people from a farm where the Shining Path rebel group kept them as slaves.
Some of the hostages said they had been kidnapped some 30 years ago. The defence ministry said 26 of them were children, some of whom were born in captivity. Some of the captives said they had been kidnapped some 30 years ago. The defence ministry said 26 of them were children, some of whom were born in captivity.
The hostages said they were also forced to work in fields. The victims said they were also forced to work in fields.
Some 120 Peruvian soldiers took part in the operation, after being taken to the farm by former rebels. Some 120 Peruvian soldiers took part in the operation. Four army helicopters airlifted the captives into safety.
Four army helicopters were used to airlift the hostages into safety. The military says solders were led to the farm by a former captive, who lived there for many years and escaped about a month ago.
'Work and procreate''Work and procreate'
"We've been here, like this, for 30 years," one of the rescued women told La Republica newspaper."We've been here, like this, for 30 years," one of the rescued women told La Republica newspaper.
Some of the rescued children said they were scared of the army, after being told by the rebels that the soldiers had come to kill them.Some of the rescued children said they were scared of the army, after being told by the rebels that the soldiers had come to kill them.
"The aim of this operation was to rescue the people who were hostages of the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) in what is called a production camp," said Vice-Defence Minister Ivan Vega Loncharich."The aim of this operation was to rescue the people who were hostages of the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) in what is called a production camp," said Vice-Defence Minister Ivan Vega Loncharich.
Production camps are farms where "the children are gathered to work in agriculture and the women are expected to procreate and give birth to new rebels," he said.Production camps are farms where "the children are gathered to work in agriculture and the women are expected to procreate and give birth to new rebels," he said.
La Republica said some of the children had been kidnapped from rural communities, where parents do not report abductions for fear of reprisals.La Republica said some of the children had been kidnapped from rural communities, where parents do not report abductions for fear of reprisals.
The Maoist-inspired left-wing group was largely defeated in the 1990s after waging a bloody insurgency in one of South America's poorest nations.The Maoist-inspired left-wing group was largely defeated in the 1990s after waging a bloody insurgency in one of South America's poorest nations.
Almost 70,000 people died or disappeared in more than a decade of internal conflict.Almost 70,000 people died or disappeared in more than a decade of internal conflict.
But the Shining Path remains active in parts of Peru. But the Shining Path remains active in the main cocaine producing region of the country, where it is lead by the brothers Victor and Jorge Quispe Palomino.
The authorities accuse remnants of the rebel movement of involvement in the production and illegal sale of cocaine. They have been indicted in the US for drug trafficking offences, along with Florindo Eleuterio Flores Hala, alias Comrade Artemio, who was arrested in 2012.