Communism as a political philosophy inPeru dates back to the 1920s, aperiod where new ideological currents entered the country.
Throughout the movement's history, a number of parties, movements and organisations in the country have referred to themselves by the name of "communist party". The oldest to do so is thePeruvian Communist Party (Partido Comunista Peruano, PCP), originally founded in 1928 as thePeruvian Socialist Party (PSP) byMarxist philosopher and journalistJosé Carlos Mariátegui. The 1960s brought about the emergence of splinter groups up until the 21st century. One of these groups, commonly known as theShining Path (PCP-SL), waged an insurgency against thePeruvian State that resulted in a20-year period of violence that took place from 1980 to 2000, while its splinter groups have continued to operate from 2001 onwards.
The first Peruvian political party to adoptcommunism as an ideology was thePeruvian Communist Party (Partido Comunista Peruano, PCP). It was originally founded as the Peruvian Socialist Party (PSP) in 1928 by a group of nine socialist sympathisers (known as the "Group of Lima"), which includedMarxist philosopher and journalistJosé Carlos Mariátegui,[1] and formally changed its name in 1930, following Mariátegui's death and his succession byEudocio Ravines [es] as party leader.
Following a period of outright illegality, the group gradually incorporated itself into the legal political scene during the 1960s, which led to the disappointment with its so-called bureaucratic and collaborationist character, believing thatguerrilla warfare was the only path to the establishment of asocialist state. In 1962, a faction split and formed theNational Liberation Army (ELN) a year later, which led such a military campaign until its defeat by 1965.
Peruvian reception for Marxism was increased by the 1959 victory of theCuban revolution and theFidel Castro's declaration following Cuba post-Bay of Pigs invasion declaration that he was aMarxist-Leninist and always would be.[2]: 132
Fernando Belaúnde Terry's administration was tolerant of the political left, and a variety of Marxist parties expanded during his time in office.[2]: 132–133
In 1963, the ongoingSino-Soviet split separated the PCP into two rival factions, onepro-Soviet and the otherpro-Chinese. The latter subsequently split from the Peruvian Communist Party in January 1964 and adopted the namePeruvian Communist Party – Red Flag (PCP-BR).[3] The party was originally led bySaturnino Paredes,José Sotomayor, andAbimael Guzmán.[4][5] Due to internal disagreements among the party's three leaders, the party expelled several of its members in its early history. Two parties subsequently emerged from a 1969 split in the party: theCommunist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland (PCP-PR) and theCommunist Party of Peru – Shining Path (PCP-SL)[a] led by Guzmán. Afterwards, Paredes became the party's sole leader and renamed the party "Peruvian Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)". In response to theSino-Albanian split, the party dropped its commitment toMaoism and aligned itself with theParty of Labour of Albania andHoxhaism. In 1978, the "PCP-Mayoría" faction split from the PCP to form a more pro-Soviet branch, as it considered that the PCP had adoptedEurocommunism instead, operating until the 1980s.
Theelections of 1980 formally ended the so-calledRevolutionary Government ofFrancisco Morales Bermúdez, who had seized power fromJuan Velasco Alvarado through amilitary coup in 1975. The previously banned socialist and communist parties participated in the elections, leading to the PCP attaining five seats in the constituent assembly, while left-wing groups as a whole achieved an important presence and united to form theUnited Left alliance, which formed one of the country's main political forces during the 1980s.
In contrast to the aforementioned legal route of the political left, Guzmán's PCP-SL began its war against thePeruvian government byburning ballots inChuschi, a town in ruralAyacucho. Guzmán's faction considered the political left asrevisionists, openly and actively opposing them through itsperiod of insurgency. The Shining Path's leadership wascaptured and arrested by theSpecial Intelligence Group in 1992, and entered amnesty talks the following year. Rump factions of the group that opposed the peace talks have since continued a low-intensity insurgency that continues to this day, allying themselves withnarcoterrorist groups in rural parts of the country, notably theValle de los Ríos Apurímac, Ene y Mantaro (VRAEM).
Following thedissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the PCP and other communist parties in Peru have since participated at a much smaller level in the country's politics, mainly through broad left-wing political alliances.
A number of political parties claim the name and legacy of the original party founded in 1928, some using the original name. These parties include:
| Name | Abbr. | Established | Disestablished | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partido Comunista Peruano | PCP[b] | 1928 | No | Known as thePeruvian Socialist Party until 1930. |
| Partido Obrero Revolucionario | POR[c] | 1944 | 1963 | Known as theMarxist Workers Group until 1946. |
| APRA Rebelde | APRA | 1959 | 1962 | Split fromAPRA; later became theMIR. |
| Partido Comunista Peruano (Marxista–Leninista) | PCPML[d] | 1964 | No | Known as thePeruvian Communist Party – Red Flag until 1969. |
| Vanguardia Revolucionaria | VR | 1965 | 1984 | |
| Partido Comunista del Perú – Patria Roja | PCP-PR | 1970 | No | Expelled from PCPML in 1969. |
| Partido Comunista del Perú[e] | PCP[f] | 1970 | 1992[g] | Expelled from PCPML in 1969 andbecame an armed group in 1980. |
| Partido Obrero Marxista Revolucionario | POMR | 1970 | 1982 | A majority faction eventually joined the PST. |
| Partido Comunista – Estrella Roja | PCP-ER | 1970s | 1970s | Split from the PCP. |
| Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores | PST | 1971 | No | A member ofLIT-CI; a pro-UIT-CI faction split in 1992. |
| Partido Comunista Revolucionario | PCR | 1974 | 1990s | Split from the VR. |
| Partido Comunista Revolucionario - Trinchera Roja | PCR-TR | 1977 | 1984 | Split from the PCR and eventually joined the PUM. |
| Vanguardia Revolucionaria (Proletario Comunista) | VR-PC | 1977 | 1980s | Dissolved and most of its members joined the Shining Path. Asplinter group also existed. |
| Frente Obrero Campesino Estudiantil y Popular | FOCEP | 1977 | No | |
| Partido Comunista del Perú - Puka Llacta | PCP-PLL | 1978 | ? | |
| Partido Comunista Peruano – Mayoría | PCP-Mayoría | 1978 | 1980s | Split from the PCP under the leadership of Ventura Zegarra. |
| Partido Socialista Revolucionario (Marxista-Leninista) | PSR(M-L) | 1978 | ? | Split from the PSR |
| Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores | PRT | 1978 | No | |
| Partido Comunista Revolucionario-Clase Obrera | PCR-CO | 1970s | ? | |
| Partido Unificado Mariateguista | PUM | 1984 | 1996 | |
| Partido Proletario del Perú | PPP | 1990[6] | No | Headed by Illipa Tuta. |
| Militarizado Partido Comunista del Perú | MPCP | 1992 | No | Operates as a militant group. |
| Frente Democrático del Pueblo | FDP | 2000 | No | Political wing of the defunctMRTA. |
| Partido Político Nacional Perú Libre | PL | 2008 | No |
A number ofelectoral fronts and alliances have brought together the aforementioned groups on different occasions:
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