Facts on the massacre in Peru in which the army forced the people to dig their own graves:

[Judi Lynn]

RIGHTS-PERU: Unburying the Evidence of Biggest ‘Dirty War’ Massacre
By Ángel Páez

Victims of Putis massacre.

Credit:Courtesy of Asociación Paz y Esperanza.

LIMA, May 30 (IPS) - It was not hard to find the remains of the victims, some of whose bones were actually exposed to the elements. But it took 24 years for the people of the highlands village of Putis in southern Peru to get a response to their insistent requests for exhumation and identification of the remains.

In 1984, 125 men, women and children were shot to death by army troops after being tricked into digging their own mass grave.

The biggest single massacre of civilians in Peru’s 1980-2000 civil war is just now coming to light, thanks to the unflagging efforts of the victims’ families.

Since May 17, 60 bodies have been found, including those of 10 children between the ages of six and 10.

On a visit to the area in November 2006, this reporter found that the relatives were going from one public agency to another, asking them to exhume the victims of the massacre of Putis, located in the district of Santillana in the southern province of Ayacucho.

More:
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42605

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You'll be so proud to know there are at least 900 Americans up there in the same area today, thanks to _{George W. Bush:}

U.S. Army aviators support humanitarian mission in Ayacucho, Peru

by Airman 1st Class Tracie Forte
Task Force New Horizons Public Affairs

7/10/2008 - AYACHUCHO, Peru -- U.S. Army CH-47D "Chinook" aircrew members and soldiers with Task Force New Horizons are providing heavy-lift helicopter support to more than 990 U.S. servicemembers deployed to Ayacucho, Peru in support of New Horizons Peru-2008, a humanitarian effort focused on bringing a better quality of life to the people of the Peru.

The aircrews and support personnel, deployed from the 5th Battalion, 159 Aviation Regiment out of Fort Eustis, Va., are providing cargo lifting capabilities, troop transportation, and medical/casualty evacuation support during the New Horizon missions.

"In order for the Army to move large amounts of equipment, supplies and personnel quickly around the battlefield and to high altitudes, they need a specific capability," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. George Burbules, the Task Force New Horizons aviation task force commander. "The Chinook was designed just for that."

The Chinook's aircrews each consist of at least two pilots, a flight engineer, and a crew chief. Fully loaded this aircraft can weigh up to 50,000 pounds, and is capable of seating 33 combat loaded troops when flying at sea level. At the present altitude of 9,000 feet in Ayacucho, the Chinook is capable of carrying up to 20 people, and 8,000 pounds of equipment.

"Given optimum conditions, our Chinooks are capable of carrying 26,000 pounds of equipment externally," said Lt. Col. Burbules. "They have also operated at altitudes as high as 15,000 feet."

The Chinooks are also on call in case of emergencies that require servicemembers to be transported back to base camp.

"It is essential for personnel to be brought either back to base camp or a local hospital," said U.S. Air Force Dr. (Capt.) Ronald Khoury, the Task Force New Horizons chief medical officer. "The Chinooks can transport patients from Huanta to Los Cabitos in about fifteen minutes versus a one to two hour bumpy drive.

Along with supporting the mission, the aviation teams have taken advantage of the training opportunities that can be found in the Peruvian environment.

"Our main goal is to support the global war on terror in either theater," said Lt. Col. Burbules. "Flying in this environment allows us to train for missions in areas such as Afghanistan."

More:
http://www.12af.acc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123106116