International Journal on Criminology Volume 7, Number 2, Spring 2020 | Page 64

The Shining Path: An Important
Resource for Terrorism Studies
Daniel Dory
Daniel Dory is a geographer with training in sociology, history, and criminology.
He is a lecturer at the University of La Rochelle, where he specializes
in geopolitics and the analysis of conflicts involving terrorism.
He served in the Bolivian government between 1997 and 2000, notably as
vice-minister for territorial organization. He was also responsible for the
political and technical coordination (both nationally and internationally)
of several internal security missions involving drug trafficking and infiltrations
by the FARC and the Shining Path in Bolivia. He is the author of a
recent review article on the geopolitical approach to terrorism, published
in L’Espace politique (2017).
Abstract
This paper demonstrates the importance of the Shining Path (SP)
for terrorism studies based on two approaches. First, we evaluate
the most recent literature on the organization’s insurgency in
Peru, which began in 1980. Second, we explore the place of the
Shining Path within terrorism studies by examining the main databases,
bibliographies, encyclopedias, and dictionaries available
to researchers. We discuss the consequences of this survey for our
understanding of the definitions and functions of terrorism. These
are relevant for understanding its present manifestations and for
implementing counterterrorism strategies.
Keywords: Peru, Shining Path, terrorism
Sendero Luminoso: un recurso importante
para los estudios sobre terrorismo
Resumen
Este documento demuestra la importancia de Sendero Luminoso
(SL) para los estudios de terrorismo basados en dos enfoques. Primero,
evaluamos la literatura más reciente sobre la insurgencia de
la organización en Perú, que comenzó en 1980. Segundo, exploramos
el lugar de Sendero Luminoso dentro de los estudios sobre te-
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