Peru: Dilemma over what to do with body of Shining Path leader
Al JazeeraOfficials fear the body of Abimael Guzman could become a rallying point for supporters of the group. Peruvian officials are facing a dilemma over what to do with the body of Abimael Guzman, the late founder of the brutal Shining Path fighter group, amid concerns his remains could be a rallying point for supporters. By law, prisoner’s remains should be turned over to a direct relative, but Guzman had none except his wife Elena Iparraguirre, the Shining Path’s former second-in-command, who is also serving a life sentence for “terrorism”. ‘No place of worship’ “The remains of this genocidal killer should not be delivered to relatives, and since his wife can’t receive them because she’s imprisoned, the logical and reasonable step would be to cremate the body and throw the ashes in the sea,” political analyst Fernando Rospigliosi told the AFP news agency. An autopsy showed Guzman died of bilateral pneumonia – also known as double pneumonia – an infection that inflames both lungs and has been associated with COVID-19, the attorney general’s office said in a statement.