María Elena Moyano

María Elena Moyano Delgado (29 November 1958 – February 15, 1992) was a Peruvian community organizer and activist of Afro-Peruvian descent who was assassinated by the Maoist Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) Terrorist group. Although only one of many atrocities committed during the most violent period of Peru's modern history, her death resulted in a public outcry.

Moyano was born in the Barranco district of Lima. Her activism began in her teens, as a member of the Movimiento de Jóvenes Pobladores, a youth movement in Villa El Salvador, a vast shantytown (pueblo joven) on the outskirts of the capital, largely populated by migrants from the interior of the country.

In 1984, at age 25, she was elected president of the Federación Popular de Mujeres de Villa El Salvador (Fepomuves), a federation of women from Villa El Salvador. Under her leadership, the organization grew to encompass public kitchens, health committees, the Vaso de Leche program (which supplied children with milk), income-generating projects, and committees for basic education. In 1990, Moyano left her position in Fepomuves and shortly thereafter was elected deputy mayor of the municipality of Villa El Salvador.

Maria Elena Moyano also supported the Orgnization Vaso de Leche (Glass of Milk). Orgnization Vaso de Leche organized to deliver milk to Lima's poor neighborhoods so that children could have at least one cup of milk a day.

Maria Elena Moyano’s mother laundered clothes for a living, and had seven children. Moyano grew up with her six siblings: Rodolfo, Raul, Carlos, Narda, Eduardo, and Martha. For many years Maria Elena wanted to be a secretary, but her mother encouraged her to study law. Moyano's husband, Gustavo encouraged her to apply to Garcilaso de la Vega University so she could study sociology. The movie "Courage" (1999) depicted her studying poverty in Peru, and her turn towards secularism and socialism. Moyano believed that soup kitchens were a form of expressing grievances.

The Shining Path, founded by Abimael Guzman Reynoso, was trying to consolidate its hold on the poorer neighborhoods of Lima. They were suspicious of all social organizations in Peru. Shining Path guerrillas planted a bomb on September 9th, 1991 in a distribution center and blamed Maria Elena Moyano. Clearly, they falsely accused her in order to silence her.

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