It has been criticized for its violence against peasants, trade union organizers, and elected officials, which were deemed by the group to be collaborating with the Peruvian state.
They often provoked the ire of the Peruvian state.
On May 17, 1980 the Shining Path went to war against the Peruvian state.
Following the declaration of Independence, the Peruvian state was bogged down by the royalist resistance, and instability of the republic itself.
The issue is how the Peruvian state and Peruvian society deal with that polarization towards the future.
"If that happens, the possibility of the use of force by the Peruvian state will be eliminated."
That plan, estimated to last three to four years, was to lead to the final conflict and bring down the Peruvian state.
Shining Path members engaged in street fights with members of other political groups and painted graffiti exhorting "armed struggle" against the Peruvian state.
As Shining Path began to lose ground in the Andes to the Peruvian state and the rondas, it decided to speed up its overall strategic plan.
That's clearly the responsibility of the Peruvian state.