Former Head Of Peru's Maoist Rebels Dies In Prison: Lawyer

Lima, Sept 12 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2021 ) :Abimael Guzman, the historic leader of Peru's Maoist Shining Path guerrillas -- blamed for one of the bloodiest insurgencies in Latin America -- died Saturday in a military prison at the age of 86.

Guzman had been serving a life sentence in the maximum security prison at the Callao naval base near Lima.

His lawyer Alfredo Crespo said the navy had confirmed the death and informed Guzman's wife, Elena Iparraguirre, who herself is serving a life sentence for terrorism in a different Lima prison. Guzman was captured in 1992.

A prison statement said he died early Saturday from "complications in the state of his health." It provided no details.

"Terrorist leader Abimael Guzman has died, responsible for the loss of countless lives of our fellow citizens," President Pedro Castillo said in a tweet.