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Peru Marks 29 Years Since Chavín de Huántar Hostage Rescue

The commemoration signals how the raid still anchors Peru’s narrative of state strength.

Overview

  • The military ceremony, held Wednesday at a full-scale replica of the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Chorrillos, honored the comandos and brought together senior authorities and veterans of the rescue.
  • The 1997 assault freed 72 hostages after elite units tunneled in for a surprise entry, and it left 14 MRTA captors dead along with two comandos and one hostage.
  • The National Police ran parallel tributes in Pisco on April 22, recognizing members of the security forces, local self‑defense groups, and citizens who died fighting terrorism.
  • News reports note ongoing claims of extrajudicial killings during the assault, which continue to fuel a human‑rights debate about how the rescue was conducted.
  • Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission situates the raid within the country’s late‑20th‑century internal conflict and describes it as a key step in reasserting democratic order.