Terrorist Organization Profile:
Ethnocacerista

Following his release from prison, Antauro Humala began building a cadre of nationalist former soldiers and army reservists. This became Ethnocacerista almost by default, as the self-styled name of Humala's ideology became pegged to the nebulous organization he led. Ollanta Humala also played some role in the group, though how much and when he ceased involvement is unclear.

The fledgling organization exploded into prominence with an insurrection in the remote town of Andahuaylas on January 1st, 2005. As many as 150 insurgents barricaded roads, shut off the power supply, and captured the local police station. Antauro Humala personally led the assault. Four police officers were killed in the raid and several more were taken hostage. Antauro and most of his band surrendered and were detained on January 4th, though a small number reportedly escaped. Humala was taken to Lima and jailed on terrorism charges. The group's major demand during their occupation of the police station was the resignation of Peru's president, Alejandro Toledo.

Ethnocacerista's name refers to a Peruvian general of old, Andres Avelino Caceres, who led a guerrilla army against Chile after that country occupied parts of Peru in 1879. Ethnocacerista reportedly opposes foreign investment, especially Chilean, and may be seeking to incite "Peruvians" (those of Indian or mixed blood) against "foreigners" -- Peruvians of European descent. The group also dreams of liberating the province of Arica, which has been a part of Chile since the 1879-1883 Pacific War between the two countries. Antauro Humala once called for a new nation of descendants of the Incan empire along the western coast of South America. Ethnocacerista allegedly opposes efforts to stem the growth and trade of coca.

Nationalism and indigenous rights have recently taken on a major role in Peruvian politics. This has created an opening for supporters of Ethnocacerista to increase their political profile on the far-right. Ollanta Humala (who is no longer affiliated with Ethnocacerista) is currently running for the Presidency of Peru as the candidate for the Union of Peru Party, a moderately nationalist and conservative outfit. Humala won the first-round elections on April 9th, 2006, taking 30% of the vote. It is uncertain who he will face in the run-off, as Lourdes Flores and Alan Garcia are currently disputing the election results. Some experts expect Humala to beat Garcia but not Flores.

Antauro Humala is also trying to enter politics. Though he is currently serving jail-time for his role in the January 2005 uprising, he is contending for a seat in Congress. Rather than run under his brother's party, Antauro is running as a candidate for a more extreme nationalist party, Avanza Pais. Antauro has threatened an armed uprising if his party does not win seats in the legislature. Seeking the center-right in order to win the Presidency, Ollanta Humala has distanced himself from his brother's brand of nationalism during the campaign. Since Ollanta Humala's victory in round one, Antauro has threatened the country with an armed uprising if his brother does not become president. He has also said that Ollanta is publicly playing down his extreme nationalism to advance his candidacy.

Learn more about these U.S. Department of State classifications:

Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)

Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL)