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In its relations with Peru, the United States has historically placed greatest emphasis on fighting the war on drugs. As Sendero Luminoso, The Shining Path, led an insurgency against the Peruvian government in the 1980s and 1990s, the United States provided ample support against the terrorists located in the jungle, especially those participating in the drug trade. But Peru's victory over terrorism then was due more to improved police intelligence and increased public investment, rather than success in the war on drugs. Now, in the midst of economic troubles and a difficult transition back to democracy in Peru, the Shining Path has made a resurgence. The United States again faces a choice about how to proceed-to continue focusing on the war on drugs or to provide sustained levels of investment in Peru's economy and political institutions, thereby turning this war on terror into a war on poverty.
The United States is about to make another mistake in Latin America. By promising to support a campaign against domestic terror in Peru, the Bush administration prioritizes counternarcotics operations over a concerted campaign to reduce poverty and strengthen democracy.
The United States would do well to examine its history of involvement in Peru. As it charts a course for battling terrorism in South America after September 11, policymakers will find that drug trafficking may have little to do with what drives domestic terror. Fighting this renewed insurgency requires sustained U.S. investment in Peru's economy and its political institutions, not increased commitments to the war on drugs.
A Car Bomb
Late in the evening of March 20, 2002, a car bomb exploded in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Lima's upscale La Molina suburb. Nine people were killed and more than thirty injured in the powerful explosion that destroyed parked cars and rocketed glass, twisted metal, and concrete into the streets. Such an attack, especially outside the Middle East, rarely captures widespread international attention. This car bomb, however, exploded less than four blocks away from the U.S. embassy and was timed to coincide with U.S. President George W. Bush's arrival in Peru.
The White House responded quickly, declaring that the President's trip to Peru would not be cancelled. "No two-bit terrorists are going to prevent me...