(20 Dec 1995) Spanish/Nat

Police paraded 23 alleged members of the Peruvian Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement before the media in Lima, following their arrests at a shootout earlier this month.

The revolutionaries have been charged with high treason and face life in prison if found guilty in a military court.

An American woman arrested with the alleged rebels did not appear in the parade reportedly because of U-S pressure on the Peruvian government.

After several cancellations, Peru's anti-terrorist police finally paraded their prized possessions.

23 alleged members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA who surrendered on 1 December after a shootout with police and army troops in Lima, were made to appear before the media.

One of those apprehended is Miguel Rincon Rincon, allegedly second in the M-R-T-A hierarchy and chief of military operations.

He shouted his defiance at the dozens of reporters who attended the presentation.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
We are revolutionaries. We are guerrilla fighters fighting for true liberty, justice and equality in this country. There are people responsible for the terrible situation in our country. They are responsible for 60 percent of our children to be malnourished, for 40 percent of Peruvians to live in absolute misery. It is because of them that there is unrest, hunger and armed insurrection in Peru. There are men and women with dignity willing to give their lives for a truly free country. Motherland or death!
SUPER CAPTION: Miguel Rincon Rincon, alleged M-R-T-A Leader

Also paraded was Jaime Ramirez Pedrosa who is an alleged member of the M-R-T-A Central Committee in charge of military operations in Central Peru.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
There is a lot of injustice in Peru. M-R-T-A is fighting that injustice.
SUPER CAPTION: Jaime Ramirez Pedrosa, alleged M-R-T-A Leader

U-S citizen Lori Helen Berenson, also under arrest accused of providing logistical support to M-R-T-A members, was not paraded at the event.

Berenson was arrested the night before the December shootout, and according to Peruvian press reports, she was reportedly spared the media parade because of pressure from the U-S government.

According to the anti-terrorist police, Berenson is also known as "Camarada Lucia" and was reporting directly to Rincon and M-R-T-A supreme leader Nestor Cerpa Cartolini.

The December shootout took place in one of the most exclusive Lima neighbourhoods.

Police intelligence units had spotted several alleged members of the M-R-T-A close to a gas station they were allegedly trying to destroy.

After being confronted, the guerillas fled to a nearby house taking a family as hostages.

A bloody shootout followed, leaving four dead and 11 injured.

After the surrender of the suspected rebels, police confiscated dozens of automatic weapons, grenades, thousands of rounds of ammunition and electronic equipment.

The 23 suspects have been charged with high treason and face life imprisonment.

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