For the past decade, U.S.-Peruvian relations have largely centered around "the war on drugs." Peru is one of the principal sources of cocaine entering the United States, and since the 1970s the United States has provided Peru with military assistance for counternarcotics operations.

Human Rights and Democracy

U.S. relations with Peru have been strained in recent years due to concerns over human rights abuses and the anti-democratic policies of Peru's President, Alberto Fujimori. The U.S. Congress eliminated military aid to Peru in 1992 and 1993 after President Fujimori dissolved the Peruvian Congress and courts and suspended the constitution. In addition, the aid cutoff was a result of the Peruvian military's accidental? shootdown of a U.S. military plane and human rights abuses committed in the military's war against leftist insurgents. President Fujimori held new congressional elections and instituted a new constitution in late November 1992. The U.S. Congress resumed substantive military aid in late 1995, after Peru met criteria including restitution to the US pilot's family, resolution of key democracy and human rights concerns and the end to the Peru-Ecuador border war.

Domestic and international concerns about President Fujimori's authoritarian and undemocratic tendencies have resurfaced recently. In late May 1997, the President removed three members of a tribunal charged with ruling on the constitutionality of laws after they ruled that it was unconstitutional for him to seek the presidency again. Additionally, in July 1997, five members of President Fujimori's cabinet resigned in protest over his press censorship and wiretapping policies.

The human rights situation in Peru is complex; the military and guerrillas are both to blame for one of the most violent situations in Latin America. The State Department's 1997 human rights report summarizes the situation well:

"Although the human rights situation improved somewhat [in 1996], serious problems remain. Security forces were responsible for extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture, and beatings. Although individual prison directors made some efforts to improve conditions in their own prisons, overall prison conditions remain extremely harsh, particularly in the case of prisoners jailed for terrorism offenses. Arbitrary detention, accountability, lack of due process, lengthy trial delays, and prolonged pretrial detention remain problems. The authorities at times infringed upon citizens' privacy rights. Violence against women and children and discrimination against the disabled, indigenous people, and minorities are continuing problems. Child labor is also a problem."

As recently as early April 1997, the Peruvian army made a mass arrest of a jungle village and tortured the inhabitants into signing confessions that they were members of the Tupac Amaru movement. The Fujimori government justifies such abuses as necessary in a state of emergency.

Since 1980, Peru has been under siege by two major revolutionary groups. One is Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), a Maoist movement seeking to overthrow the Peruvian government. Its tactics have included bombings, killings and torture of civilians, and abductions of teenagers for indoctrination into the movement. The Shining Path is thought to be responsible for over 25,000 deaths in Peru, with the military responsible for another 10,000. Despite the capture of its leader---Abimael Guzman---in a 1993 raid by the government, the Shining Path has continued its campaign against the government.

Less is known about the MTRA (Tupac Amaru), an underground leftist movement founded in 1984 in opposition to Peru's neo-liberal economic policies and the militarization of Peruvian society. It, too, is engaged in a guerrilla movement against the Peruvian government. Most notably, the group was responsible for the 17 December 1996 hostage-taking at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in Peru. In a move that elicited a great deal of international criticism and concern, the Peruvian military killed all of the hostage takers in a raid of the residence on 22 April 1997. Many of the hostage takers were apparently executed, rather than shot in action.

Border War with Ecuador

Relations between Peru and Ecuador have been strained over the territorial settlement of the 1941 border war. Despite being the aggressor, Peru was granted over half of Ecuador's territory in the settlement. Since then, the terrority in dispute was discovered to be rich in mineral deposits and petroleum deposits. Furthermore, the settlement denied Ecuador direct access to the Amazon river. Twice, once in 1981 and once in 1995, tensions have escalated into border wars. The January 1995 war ended after a week due to pressure from the U.S., Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, guareentors of the 1941 peace. However, both sides continue to arm in anticipation of future disputes. In 1997, Peru purchased a squadron of MiG's from Belarus, and Ecuador has been purchasing defensive weaponery. As of late 1997, territorial negotiations are still ongoing. Although in a sign of hope, the Ecuadorean and Peruvian military officals have agreed to share information on weapon acquistions as a means of decreasing tension.

Background Information 

CIA Factbook entry for Peru.
State Department Human Rights Report on Peru for 1997.
State Department Human Rights Report on Peru for 1998.