Peru: Revival of Shining Path Not a Major Threat -- Yet

The recent revival of the Shining Path rebel group in Peru not coincidentally has paralleled a sharp jump in coca and poppy cultivation. Colombian, Bolivian and Mexican drug traffickers are paying Shining Path to protect their illegal crops and drug shipments inside Peru, and the group is using the cash to buy weapons, recruit new members and try to improve its image with indigenous peasants. Shining Path is still lightyears away from representing a serious threat to Peru's national security, although it could begin causing the government multiple headaches — especially if it starts targeting foreign companies with kidnap raids and extortion.