Sendero Luminoso, or the Shining Path, is a Maoist guerrilla group founded in the late 1970s in Peru. It aimed to overthrow the government and establish a communist state through violent means. The group gained notoriety in the 1980s and 1990s for its brutal tactics, including bombings and assassinations, targeting both military and civilian populations. At its peak, Sendero Luminoso controlled significant rural areas and was responsible for thousands of deaths. The Peruvian government, with support from the military and international allies, launched counterinsurgency efforts that weakened the group. By the early 2000s, its influence had significantly diminished.