 In June, rebels captured dozens of people from an Andean camp |
Peru's anti-terrorism police have confirmed the capture of the second highest ranking member of the left-wing guerrilla group, the Shining Path. Florentino Cerron Cardozo was captured on Saturday - along with his wife - in the highland city of Huancayo in the south-east of the country.
His capture follows a spate of attacks by the Shining Path, including the recent kidnap of 71 people at an isolated mountain field camp.
According to the Peruvian authorities, Florentino Cerron was the head of the Shining Path's Central Regional Committee.
Also known as Marcelo, Carlos, Julio and Raul, he is accused of being responsible for 122 murders, 92 "subversive attacks" and a further 91 armed incidents.
Rebel 'comeback'
He was caught when he paid a visit to his wife and children in a poor suburb of Huancayo, an Andean city some 190 miles (300 km) south-east of the Peruvian capital, Lima.
His capture means that all but one of the Shining Path's original leaders are now in custody.
Only the rebel commander, known as Artemio, remains at large.
The arrest of Mr Cerron will come as a welcome relief to the Peruvian Government.
Critics have accused it of allowing the Shining Path to make what appears to be a comeback.
In June, 62 Maoist rebels kidnapped three police officers, along with 68 people working for an Argentine petroleum company.
Since then, there have been almost daily reports of incidents involving the Shining Path, including the murder of a civil defence leader and several armed hold-ups on isolated jungle roads.
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