CSW welcomes the news that four military commanders have been implicated in the killing of 123 Christian villagers 27 years ago.
CSW has just learned that on the 27th anniversary of the Putis massacre in Peru, justice may finally be within reach. Charges have been filed against four high ranking military officials who were in command of regional operations at the time.
Tricked into digging their own graves
On 13 December 1984, 123 villagers including babies and the elderly were gunned down by members of the Peruvian military. Before the shooting, they were tricked into digging their own graves after being told the shallow pits would be used for trout farming. Many of the young women were gang-raped before their murder. The predominantly Christian villagers had sought the military's protection after their mayor was assassinated by extremist leftist paramilitaries, The Shining Path, which often specifically targeted Christians and church leaders. No-one has ever been held to account and the military and Ministry of Defence refused to turn over records of who was stationed there at the time to the prosecutors' office.
Positive results for CSW's work in Peru
CSW has been mobilising support for members of the Putis community since 2007, and has also supported Dr Cristina Olazabal, the public prosecutor on the case at the time, who played a key role in the investigation. She experienced outright hostility and harassment from her own government in relation to the prosecution of the Putis killings. CSW continues to campaign for the Peruvian government to implement all of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations, which Dr Olazabal also campaigned for – of which justice is a key element.
Background to the 1984 Putis massacre
Peru was wracked by an internal conflict between 1980 and 2000 as government forces battled two extreme leftist guerrilla groups, one of which was The Shining Path.
According to findings of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission the conflict took the lives of at least 70,000 victims. The Shining Path was responsible for the majority of these deaths. However, government forces were also responsible for a significant percentage, so both sides are responsible for human rights atrocities and crimes against humanity. There are an estimated 1,000 mass graves as a result of the conflict, of which Putis is one of the most significant because of its size.
You can continue to show solidarity to the victims' families by writing letters through Connect & Encourage.
I want to...
Pray
Protest
Download CSW's lobbying guide.
Provide
Make a donation to support CSW's work in Peru and around the world.
Find out more