San Miguel del Ene attack

Groups in VRAEM killed four family members in March 2021 in Huarcatán, accusing them of being police informers. On 14 May, three weeks before the run-off vote in the 2021 presidential election, Comrade Vilmawho has close ties to Comrade José, head of the Militarized Communist Party of Perucalled for a boycott of the elections, specifically naming Keiko Fujimori and stating that anyone who voted for her would be an "accomplice in genocide and corruption". She had also made a similar call prior to the first round of the election, in which she criticized almost all the candidates but singled out Fujimori and Ollanta Humala as "direct enemies" of her organization. == Motives ==

According to the leaflets found in the attack location, the perpetrators call upon to "clean VRAEM and Peru" of outcasts, "parasites and corrupts" as well as "homosexuals, lesbians, drug addicts" and "thieves". == Investigation ==

dated 10 May 2021 and calling for a campaign of social cleansing. The attack, which took place around 22:00 local time (UTC−05) on 23 May, was confirmed by general César Cervantes, commander general of the National Police of Peru, who informed about the mass shooting deaths of ten men, six women and two minors in a red-light zone bar in the locality. The Armed Forces of Peru released a statement prior to any investigations, naming Shining Path as the perpetrator, spreading confusion as the group had been long dissolved. The National Police cautioned that responsibility should be assigned following a full investigation. Peruvian investigative journalism website OjoPúblico interviewed a survivor who said that the attackers were dressed in plainclothes and fired without making subversive statement. The Public Prosecution Service announced that the Huánuco and Selva Central Prosecutor Office specialized in crimes of terrorism and against humanity would take charge of the investigation and that the National Police would carry out the autopsies of the burned bodies, which would later be transferred to the Pichari District morgue. == Reactions ==

Keiko Fujimori, presidential candidate of Popular Force, expressed categorical condemnation against the attack during a press conference in Tarapoto, as well as regret that "bloody acts" still happened in the country and her condolences to the relatives of the victims. Fujimori would go on to attempt to link Castillo to the attack. Vladimir Cerrón, Secretary General of Free Peru, published a tweet saying that "the right-wing needed [Shining] Path to win". Cerrón deleted the tweet moments later, questioning afterwards which one of the ideologies needed the terrorist group to win and condemning any act of terrorism. Prime Minister Violeta Bermúdez and Defense Minister Nuria Esparch condemned the attack and guaranteed that the electoral process would take place normally. The Episcopal Conference of Peru also joined to express its condemnation. == See also ==