The Autobiography of María Elena Moyano. The Life and Death of a Peruvian Activist (María Elena Moyano: en busca de una esperanza)

Shining Path guerrillas, Sendero Luminoso, assassinated María Elena Moyano and dynamited her body on February 15, 1992. They murdered her in the presence of her sons, Gustavo and David Pineki, while the family attended a community event sponsored by a Vaso de Leche [Glass of Milk] committee in Villa El Salvador [a large municipality near Lima]. Her assassination had an impact on all of Peru. A multitude attended her burial. Close to 300,000 persons accompanied the coffin in a monumental repudiation of the terror of the Shining Path. Why kill her? Assuredly, she represented hope to a country tired of violence and a danger to those who plotted terrorism. With this book, I tried to recover the voice of María Elena Moyano— a voice echoed by thousands of Peruvian women. The book consists of the reconstructed testimony of one of the best representatives of Peruvian womanhood of the last decade. Her support for the development and centralization of the women’s movement was significant. Her work in the community was innovative, spurring the formation of committees for the protection of the consumer. Her clear thinking and determination, in the face of violence, enabled us to look for peaceful alternatives to that violence. After being twice elected president of the Women’s Federation of Villa El Salvador, she became deputy mayor of her district. In this book, I tried to reconstruct María Elena Moyano’s words— words that embrace a very significant and creative period for women in Peru. To retrieve her voice, to introduce her to those who did not know her, I gathered material from radio, television, newspapers, and magazine and book interviews that contained her statements. I organized the material by theme and date, designed the chapters, and added notes to give context to the information. "Moyanos life exemplifies the overwhelming obstacles that poor barrio women experience not only in Peru but also in other third world countries. This autobiographical book adds important information to several different Latin American politics, feminism, sociology, and current Peruvian history. . . . Edmistens expertise is obvious in the scholarly introduction and readable translation."--Mary H. Wilgus, Campbellsville University Using Mara Elena Moyanos own words, the editor of this poignant story has re-created the voice of the martyred Peruvian activist. In 1992, at age 33, Moyano was assassinated by guerrillas of the revolutionary movement Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path). Her murder--a warning to others in the womens movement--galvanized the Peruvian people against Sendero Luminoso and its leader, Abimael Guzmn Reynosa. In part 1 of this work, Moyano traces the struggle of poor women in Peru and how they developed survival organizations such as the Vaso de Leche (Glass of Milk) and the communal kitchen feeding program to cope with poverty made worse by government austerity adjustments. Like other women, Moyano honed her leadership skills in these programs. She condemned the terrorist tactics of Sendero Luminoso and publicly proclaimed that they were not on the side of the poor. She also condemned the human rights abuses of the military and police. In part 2, Moyano relates the hardships of her impoverished childhood and describes the difficulties of achieving an education. She speaks also of her marriage and of childbirth, of the discrimination she faced, and of her gradual and steady rise to positions of authority within the popular womens movement and as deputy mayor and spokesperson for the 300,000 people of Villa El Salvador, a Lima barrio. As a woman of color, Moyano led a revolution of conscience within a larger revolution. Through this gracefully translated book, her voice continues to speak for all women who refuse to relinquish the struggle for dignity, freedom, and equal political participation. All royalties from this book will go to the Flora Tristn Center for the Peruvian Woman. Diana Miloslavish Tupac studied literature at the National University of San Marcos in Lima. She went to Mexico to participate in a study on ethnic minorities and human rights, and there she became a member of the Mexican Solidarity Committee for Guatemalan refugees. Upon her return to Peru, she rejoined the Flora Tristn Center for the Peruvian Woman. Patricia S. Taylor Edmisten is an independent scholar and retired professor of the sociological foundations of education at the University of West Florida. She has worked in Peru as a Peace Corps volunteer and as a consultant for the United Nations and is the author of Nicaragua La Prensa and the Chamorro Legacy (UPF, 1990). Using Maria Elena Moyano's own words, Diana Miloslavich Tupac has re-created the voice of the martyred Peruvian activist. In 1992, at age 33, Moyano was assassinated by guerrillas of the revolutionary movement Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path). Her murder -- a warning to others in the women's movement -- galvanized the Peruvian people against Sendero Luminoso and its leader, Abimael Guzman Reynosa.In part 1 of this work, Moyano traces the struggle of poor women in Peru and how they developed survival organizations such as the Vaso de Leche (Glass of Milk) and the communal kitchen feeding program to cope with poverty made worse by government austerity adjustments. Like other women, Moyano honed her leadership skills in these programs. She condemned the terrorist tactics of Sendero Luminoso and publicly proclaimed that they were not on the side of the poor. She also condemned the human rights abuses of the military and police.In part 2, Moyano relates the hardships of her impoverished childhood and describes the difficulties of achieving an education. She speaks also of her marriage and of childbirth, of the discrimination she faced, and of her gradual and steady rise to positions of authority within the popular women's movement and as deputy mayor and spokesperson for the 300,000 people of Villa El Salvador, a Lima barrio.As a woman of color, Moyano led a revolution of conscience within a larger revolution. Through this gracefully translated book, her voice continues to speak for all women who refuse to relinquish the struggle for dignity, freedom, and equal political participation. "Using Maria Elena Moyano's own words, Diana Miloslavich Tupac has re-created the voice of the martyred Peruvian activist." "In part 1 of this work, Moyano traces the struggle of poor women in Peru and how they developed survival organizations such as the Vaso de Leche (Glass of Milk) and the communal kitchen feeding program to cope with poverty made worse by government austerity adjustments.". "In part 2, Moyano relates the hardships of her impoverished childhood and describes the difficulties of achieving an education. She speaks also of her marriage and of childbirth, of the discrimination she faced, and of her gradual and steady rise to positions of authority within the popular women's movement and as deputy mayor and spokesperson for the 300,000 people of Villa El Salvador, a Lima barrio."--BOOK JACKET. Editor’s Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Translator’s Preface xiii Chronology xv Prologue Women in Peru: A History of Struggle and Courage 3 María Elena Moyano: The Life and Death of a Peruvian Activist 23 Part One I. Peru: In Search of Hope 37 II. Villa El Salvador: A Valorous Community 39 III. The Popular Women’s Federation of Villa El Salvador 41 IV. The Vaso de Leche Program 44 V. The Communal Kitchens 47 VI. The Economic Crisis 49 VII. Local Government 53 VIII. The Women’s Committees for the Protection of the Consumer 58 IX. The Terror of the Shining Path 61 X. On the Side of Life 67 XI. The People’s Movement 70 Part Two Autobiography 75 Afterword 91 Notes 95 Selected Bibliography 101 Index 105