Understand the complex history of the armed conflict
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Not long before the tourist boom that started bringing hoards of foreigners to Machu Picchu, Peru went through a serious and traumatic internal conflict. The terrorist group the Shining Path murdered close to 70,000 Peruvians, the vast majority of them poor farmers. Today, it's hard to believe that this occurred only in the past quarter-century, because Peruvians don't talk about it much and asking can feel intrusive. Still, it's important to understand the social and political factors that led to the violence, and realize that many of these problems are still plaguing Peru today. To learn more, I highly recommend watching the documentary "The State of Fear," which offers a comprehensive, sobering look into the tragic history.
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Posted on 12/02/2009 by
Michelle Saltis
Good tip! It is a really good idea to brush up on the history of a place when one goes to visit. When we were in Cusco, the farmers were having protests all the time about how they are not getting the rights they deserve, and are being exploited by the government.
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