ARMED CIVILIANS

Lima, the capital of Peru, was a city in crisis at the end of the eighties. The increasing economic inflation caused mass strikes and huge demonstrations.  Drug trafficking, crime and unemployment ruled the day. The terrorist attacks multiplied themselves. Water and electricity services were constantly interrupted. Lima was immersed in violence.

This instability transformed the urban panorama. Government and police institutions  reinforced security in their establishments. The electricity tower grounds were mined.

Many businessmen left the country to avoid attacks or kidnappings. The ones that stayed in Lima, hired an army of bodyguards to protect them. Around 1990 a large number of businessmen incorporated firearms into their daily lives to defend themselves from the ongoing violence.