have issued an order for the arrest of the two main suspects, investigators close to the case said Tuesday, December 19.
The men were identified as Luis Alberto Celis Checa, the patrol-chief of the government counter-terrorist unit in Huanta, and Jesus Jacinto Vilca Huincho, who allegedly acted as an informant and guide for the Peruvian marines.
About 15 members of a counter-terrorism unit based in Huanta in the 1980’s carried out an attack on the Presbyterian Church in Callqui-Nisperocnyocc during an evening prayer service on August 1, 1984, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in a statement to BosNewsLife.
Around 25 young people reportedly gathered together for the prayer and praise service at the church, about one kilometer from the municipal sports stadium, which was being used by the military as a marine infantry base to combat the Shining Path guerrillas.
YOUTH LEADER
24-year-old Constantino Yanez Huicho, the head of the Christian Youth Union in Huanta along with his brother Jose Yanez Huicho, Wenceslao Florencio Huamanyalli Ore, the son of a church elder, Paulino Cayo Ccorinaupa, MelquÃades Quispe Rojas, and Jorge de la Cruz Quispe, who was only 12 at the time, were apparently taken to the back of the church.
"They were made to stand in a line with their backs to the stream that ran at the bottom of the incline. They were sprayed with machine gun fire and then their bodies were repeatedly stabbed with bayonets," CSW said. The sister of one of the victims told CSW of her impression that her "brother’s body resembled a sieve."
All of the young men killed were known to be active members of the church and it was widely accepted they had no links with the Shining Path, CSW said. "While it was no secret that the government forces were responsible for the attack, a lack of political will has made it virtually impossible to bring charges against members of the military," the group added.
MORE SUSPECTS
In comments published Tuesday, December 19, Human rights group Peace and Hope, CSW’s partner organization in Peru, welcomed the arrests and the launch of the court case, but cautioned the judge did not pursue charges against three higher-ranking military officials who were also suspected of involvement in the massacre.
“Society is hopeful and expectant, that, after so many years, the families of the victims will finally receive justice; those responsible will be punished with the full weight of the law; and the Peruvian State will fulfill its obligation to make reparations to the victims’ families," Peace and Hope said.
Peru was wracked by internal violence through the 1980’s and 1990’s as the government battled leftist militant groups, including the Shining Path, a Maoist guerrilla group, which had a strong presence in the Huanta-Ayacucho region of the Peruvian Andes and was believed to be responsible for human rights atrocities on a massive scale. "The government response to the violence, however, was unfortunately at times, equally extreme," said CSW, which has met family members of victims.
CHURCH SUFFER
It added that churches, particularly in the highland regions, found themselves caught in the middle between the different forces battling for power. The Shining Path "massacred entire communities of Christians and torched their churches" as part of "its mission to eradicate religion and in response to the brave stand many of these Christian communities took against the terrorist group," CSW said.
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), set up by the government, issued a report in 2003 that found that more than 70,000 people had been killed or forcibly disappeared in the 20 years of violence. (With reports from Peru and BosNewsLife Research).
