Book cover of The Autobiography of María Elena Moyano: The Life and Death of a Peruvian Activist

Book description

Using Maria Elena Moyano's own words, the editor of this story recreates the voice of the martyred Peruvian activist. In 1992, aged 33, Moyano was assassinated by guerrillas of the revolutionary movement Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path). Her murder galvanized the Peruvian people against the group.

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Autobiography of María Elena Moyano as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

María Elena Moyano is perhaps the most fascinating Latin American historical figure you haven’t heard of. A Black activist, feminist, and community organizer, Moyano led a brave and suicidal campaign for peace against the Shining Path, a fearsome guerrilla group that brought Peru to its knees in the 1980s and early 90s. Moyano describes, in her own beautiful prose, her meteoric rise as a champion of the urban poor, political leader, and women’s rights warrior. She speaks candidly of her repudiation of the “terror of the Shining Path,” and of the group’s obsession with smearing her good name. Diana Miloslavic’s…

From Miguel's list on reads before your trip to Peru.

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