Plurinational Association of Tawantinsuyo Reservists
Asociación Plurinacional de Reservistas del Tawantinsuyo
LeaderEddy Villarroel Medina (Sacha)
Dates of operation2011
CountryPeru
Active regionsVRAEM
Pichanaqui
Oxapampa
Lima
IdeologyEthnocacerism
Indigenism
Anti-communism
Political positionSyncretic
StatusActive
Part of United Democratic Andean Revolutionary Front of Peru (2017 - 2022)
Allies Hezbollah (denied)
Peasant Rounds
Militarized Communist Party of Peru (2018 - 2022)
Opponents Peru
Militarized Communist Party of Peru (since 2022)
Battles and warsInternal conflict in Peru

The Plurinational Association of Tawantinsuyo Reservists (ASPRET) is an ethnonationalist paramilitary group, active in the VRAEM conflict zone. The group is led by Eddy Villarroel Medina, also known as "Comandante Sacha," a former member of the Peruvian Armed Forces.[1][2] ASPRET's primary objective is to gain political power, and overthrow the Peruvian state. Members of the group call themselves the "guardians of the people" and have participated in riots in Oxapampa and Puerto Bermudez. ASPRET had a short lived alliance with the Militarized Communist Party of Peru from 2017 to 2022, which ended due to ideological differences. The group has also been accused of being connected to Hezbollah, which it denies.[3][4] Many members of the movement are armed forces veterans of Peru's internal wars or the border disputes with Ecuador in the 1980s and 1990s.[5]

History

ASPRET areas of operation

Eddy Villaroel Medina was a former reservist in the Peruvian Army, who fought in the Internal conflict in Peru. Retiring from the Army in 1992, Media joined the Self-defense committees. He retired again in 2005, and founded ASPRET in 2011.

In 2014 members of ASPRET took over the Oxapampa square, demanding investigations into alleged acts of corruption in Ciudad Constitución and the Puerto Bermúdez District.[6]

A year later in 2015 they participated in the Pichanaki Clashes against the oil and natural gas company PlusPetrol [7]

On April 22, 2017, ASPRET released a video of Medina meeting with Comrade José, leader of the MCPP, where they discussed the creation of a United front.[8] This resulted in the creation of the United Democratic Andean Revolutionary Front of Peru (Spanish: Frente Unido Democrático Andino Revolucionario del Perú).[9] The front was dissolved in 2022 due to ideological differences, with ASPRET accusing the MCPP of supporting Pedro Castillo, and his party Free Peru, during and after the 2021 Peruvian general election.

Medina has also accused Vladimir Cerrón of having connections to Shining Path[10]

Relationships

With the Ethnocacerist Movement

Medina has been accused of being involved with the Ethnocacerist Movement, but this has been denied by Medina, and those close to Antauro Humala, leader of the movement.[2]

With Hezbollah

ASPRET has been accused of maintaining relations with Hezbollah through Edwar Quiroga Vargas, a Peruvian Shiite leader. Vargas has been accused of having connections with the Lebanese group due to social media posts, and also of his connections with other Shia leaders in Peru[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vera, Enrique (2019-12-06). "¿Quién es el ex militar que se reunía con el cabecilla de Sendero Luminoso en el Vraem?". El Comercio (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  2. 1 2 "Etnonacionalistas: la otra transformación". Panamericana Televisión. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  3. ↑ "Durmiendo con el enemigo | EL MONTONERO". EL MONTONERO | Primer Portal de opinión del país (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  4. 1 2 Scholem Heller, Melissa (November 2016). "Peru, Abancay & Hezbollah: the Party of God in the City Where the Gods Speak" (PDF). International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
  5. ↑ Jara Coa, Sandra. "La Gesta de Locumba". Antauro: La revista etnocacerista que el Perú necesita. Edición Especial No.1.
  6. ↑ Redacción EC (2014-12-02). "Presuntos etnocaceristas tomaron la plaza de Oxapampa". El Comercio (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  7. ↑ "Peru Police Clash With Protesters Opposed to Pluspetrol Project". Bloomberg.com. 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  8. ↑ Aguirre, Doris (2019-12-06). "Dircote detiene a "comandante Sacha" por reuniones con líder terrorista del Vraem". larepublica.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  9. ↑ PERU21, NOTICIAS (2019-12-22). "Los oscuros planes revelados en el libro de los terroristas del Vraem | Quispe Palomino | Sendero Luminoso | PERU". Peru21 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Redacción EC (2021-05-22). "Villarroel Medina: "Se me encargó de parte de Quispe Palomino y otros mandos medios materiales, documentaciones, archivos, para Vladimir Cerrón"". El Comercio (in Spanish). ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
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