The drama began Tuesday night, when about two dozen members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, known by the Spanish initials MRTA, stormed a lavish party that the Japanese ambassador hosts each year to celebrate the Japanese emperor's birthday. Reports on how they entered the complex differed. Most of the attacking guerrillas apparently rushed over the high concrete walls surrounding the ambassadorial compound, according to the confused accounts of witnesses.
Unconfirmed reports say that others slipped onto the grounds disguised as waiters.
The newspaper La Republica, in a special edition, said that members of MRTA rented an adjacent house three months ago and then tunneled their way into the grounds of the residence. Despite a pitched gun battle during the takeover and the guerrillas' threats, by nightfall the siege had resulted in no deaths and only minor injuries. The State Department refused to comment on unconfirmed reports that several other Americans were being held inside the compound. The guerrillas, a relatively small group calling for Cuban-style revolution, demanded the release of MRTA members held in Peruvian jails and safe passage to a haven in the Amazon region, where they said the last hostage would be released. One of the guerrillas, apparently the leader, threatened to start killing hostages if the demands were not fulfilled.