AYACUCHO

Ayacucho is a state or department in Peru, located
in the south central Andean area of the country.
Its capital is the city of Ayacucho, a colonial city
with a long pre-Inca history. In the 1980s Ayacucho became known as the area from which the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso arose. Then Ayacucho was at the center of a conflict that spread throughout the nation, threatening to destabilize the government. Its leader, Abimael Guzman, was captured in 1992 and the conflict subsided. Ayacucho is an important center of popular art; its retablos, weavings and carvings are known throughout the country, and its dances and celebrations, most notably of Holy Week, are among the most beautiful Peruvian popular festivals.