The Sides of Justice in Peru

Regarding the Opinion page article "Justice: a Victim in Peru": Most of us should agree with the author's points of view about the secret trial of Abimael Guzman Reynoso, leader of the Shining Path revolutionary movement in Peru. But the authors take only a fraction of the facts to make their case. They also report incorrectly that legal counsel was not allowed to see or speak to Mr. Guzman. It was allowed.

The Shining Path has killed over 25,000 people, has crippled over 100,000 innocent citizens, and has choked the economy by blowing up power stations, bridges, and industries, costing the country over $22 billion - as much as the country's foreign debt, which they cannot repay.

The authors classify the Shining Path as revolutionary guerrillas. This is wrong. They are killer criminals; guerrillas spell out their political philosophy. To my knowledge, this is criminal, not guerrilla, not revolutionary. Flavio J. Mazzetti, Colorado Springs, Colo.

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