People's Aid

People's Aid
Socorro Popular
NicknameSOPO
Formation1979; 45 years ago (1979)
Dissolved1992; 32 years ago (1992)
Legal statusDissolved
PurposeLegal aid
ServicesCriminal defense
Medical assistance
Military logistics
Director
Yovanka Trujillo (1979-1991)
Martha Ruiz (1991-1992)
Parent organization
Shining Path

People's Aid (Spanish:Socorro Popular, SOPO) was a Peruvian mass organization formed by the insurgent Communist Party of Peru-Shining Path; purposed to provide legal defense to members and associates accused by the state for crimes such as terrorism. It also provided logistical and medical support.[1][2]

History

[edit]

In 1979, SOPO was founded and led by Yovanka Pardavé Trujillo,[3][4] after the party's Tenth Expanded Plenary Session session established civil organizations to recruit the civilian population into a United Front for subversion.

In 1985, SOPO suffered an internal line struggle over the issue of the militarization of mass organizations.

By the end of 1986, SOPO became integral to the Shining Path's armed "people's war," with militant detachments carved out of the group for conducting various terrorist attacks. Directed by the Pilot Plan of the Revolutionary Movement for the Defense of the People (MRDP), SOPO would displace the Metropolitan Committee (METRO) as an important central apparatus.[5]

SOPO was dismantled in 1992 after both Trujillo and succeeding leader Martha Huatay were captured by DIRCOTE agents.[3][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Abogada de Sendero Luminoso liberada tras cumplir condena en Perú". France 24. 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  2. ^ "1.1.4. La expansión del conflicto armado" (PDF).
  3. ^ a b Uceda, R. Muerte en el Pentegonito. p. 11.
  4. ^ Nash, Nathaniel C. (1992-09-15). "PERU REBELS SAID TO REMAIN POTENT". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  5. ^ "LAS OPERACIONES DE INTELIGENCIA DEL GEIN QUE CONDUJERON A LA CAPTURA DEL LÍDER DE SL ABIMAEL GUZMAN by Benedicto Jiménez 1509 - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  6. ^ PERÚ, Empresa Peruana de Servicios Editoriales S. A. EDITORA. "Peru: Judiciary orders 9-month pre-trial detention for Martha Huatay". andina.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-09-25.