Lecturer at UA to Discuss the Defeat of Shining Path in Peru

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s department of history invites the public to hear Dr. Jorge Ortiz-Sotelo, chairman of the Peruvian Institute of Politics and Economics, deliver a lecture titled “Defeating the Shining Path: A Lesson in Combating Terrorism in Peru” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in 205 Gorgas Library. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The lecture will include Ortiz-Sotelo’s eyewitness accounts and reflections from his experience as a Peruvian Marine who participated in military actions against the terrorists-guerrillas called “Sendero Luminoso,” or Shining Path.

Since his retirement from the military, Ortiz-Sotelo has directed think tanks in Peru and acted in international diplomacy. A naval historian of Peru and Latin America, he has published numerous books and articles and has been invited to give conferences in countries around the world.

He has a doctorate from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and also attended the Peruvian Naval War College and Queen Mary College, of the University of London.

The history department is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.