Abstract
Sendero Luminoso is frequently described as an unorthodox Peruvian terrorist organization in league with the Colombian cocaine cartel, rather than as a political entity which claims to be the true Communist Party of Peru. By examining its origins, organizational structure, and ideology, one finds that terrorism is but a weapon in Sendero's attempt to seize power, and one which is clearly subordinated to the party's political‐military strategy of protracted armed struggle. A product of numerous splits and factions within the Peruvian communist movement, Sendero's unique and unconventional approach to revolution is the creation of Abimael Guzman, the self‐proclaimed ‘Fourth Sword of Marxism’. But while Guzman's vision of a ‘New Democracy’ has brought unparalleled death and destruction to large parts of Peru, Sendero Luminoso has yet to establish the base of popular support that is necessary for a vanguard party to wage a successful people's revolution.
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