Peruvian leftist leader Hugo Blanco passes away

Lima, July 12 (RHC)-- Peruvian leftist leader Hugo Blanco has passed away at the age of 88 in Sweden, where he was living with his family.  His remains were transported from Sweden to Cusco, Peru, where people held a funeral ceremony in honor of the former member of the Revolutionary Workers' Party.

During the 1960s and 70s, Hugo Blanco led the Quechua uprising for agrarian reform.  He was arrested and prosecuted in a trial where the Peruvian state sought the death penalty against him.

"Land or death, we shall overcome!" chanted the crowd during the burial of the historic peasant leader.  "This democracy is no longer a democracy.  Dina assassin, the people repudiate you!" was another phrase that echoed during the funeral procession. 

According to his relatives, the former senator died on June 25th at the age of 88 while he was hospitalized in Stockholm for a brain tumor. 

Born in Cusco in 1934, Hugo Blanco dedicated himself from a young age to the struggle for the rights of Indigenous peoples and the defense of the environment.  He joined the Trotskyist movement at the age of 20 while residing in Argentina.  Upon his return to Peru, Blanco joined the Revolutionary Workers' Party, where he became a key figure in the farmers' struggle for land and a promoter of various grassroots organizations. 

In the 1960s, Blanco led the Quechua uprising for agrarian reform.  He was arrested, tortured, and prosecuted in a trial where the Peruvian state sought the death penalty against him. 

Subsequently, Blanco was sentenced to 25 years in prison. D uring that period, he undertook 14 hunger strikes while international solidarity campaigns were organized in his defense.