Democratic transitions and Maoist insurgency: The Shining Path of Peru and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)

Abstract

This study compares outcomes of two major insurgency movements often noted for their harsh treatment of civilians, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and Peru\u27s Shining Path. Both movements began as small isolated conflicts in the midst of a democratic transition, espoused similar ideologies with little regard for liberal democratic values or institutions, deployed comparably brutal tactics, and rose rapidly to seriously threaten the ruling state. Despite comparable origins, these insurgencies ended very differently. In Peru, the Shining Path was essentially defeated by the state in the years immediately following the 1992 capture of its leader, Abimael Guzmán. Meanwhile, in Nepal, the CPN-M fought to a negotiated entry into electoral politics in 2006 and currently holds major power in parliamentary politics. Why? Within the context of a democratic transition, what explains one Maoist insurgency\u27s decline and the other\u27s rise to power? Using a qualitative comparative historical approach, we provide a systematic examination of social and political forces associated with the outcome of each insurgency