As a result, the daily lives of the poor segments of society once again became severe. It was amid such circumstances that the guerrilla groups saw their best chance for turning around their flagging fortunes. Now that their number is small, they dreamed up a strategy aimed at achieving a maximum effect with minimal effort and succeeded. By taking a large number of diplomats hostage, the guerrillas not only publicized their existence to the people of Peru, but succeeded in capturing the attention of the entire world. It was no coincidence that Japan was targeted as a victim.
Japan is the second largest provider of economic assistance to Peru behind only the United States.
The strategy employed by the guerrillas appears to have poked fun at Fujimori's insistence on emphasizing his close ties to Japan. The occupation of a government facility is not unusual in Latin America. In 1978 armed guerrillas in Nicaragua took control of the national parliament building and held 200 legislators hostage. The situation in Peru reflects the entire Latin American region. In neighboring Colombia as well as Mexico, guerrilla activities have become more frequent during the past two years.