This group operates in Peru but has suffered from President Fujimori`s government offensive against MRTA, as well as the ubiquitous Sendero Luminoso (SL). Nonetheless, the pro-Cuban MRTA has been responsible for more anti-American attacks than any other group operating in Latin America. These incidents have recently focused on kidnapping-for-ransom, a growing industry amongst such groups worldwide. The arrests of MRTA leader Victor Polay in 1992 and National Executive Committee member Emilio Villalobos in 1994 seem to have taken some of the spirit out of the group, in spite of apparent increased assistance from Bolivia`s ELN with whom MRTA has had a long-standing relationship. They have, nonetheless, taken advantage of the Peruvian government`s recent border war with Ecuador by conducting raids against towns left undefended by retasked security forces. These gains will almost certainly be temporary unless the border war becomes a major preoccupation for the government. Full Story and More Profiles
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