Interview with José Carlos Agüero, historian, writer and essayist

Abstract

José Carlos Agüero (Lima, 1975) is a historian, writer, essayist, and researcher specializing in political violence and the historical memory of Peru's internal armed conflict. His testimonial essay, Los rendidos. Sobre el don de perdonar (2015), garnered critical acclaim for its portrayal of his personal history as the son of Shining Path militants and its exploration of the conflict's victims. Among his published works are Enemigo (2016), Cuentos heridos (2017), Persona (2017), Sombriti (2023), and the essay collection Desprecio. La política del miedo en el Perú (2024). Ten years after the publication of Los rendidos, the author speaks with Espinela about key aspects of his work, the ongoing battle for the memory of the conflict in the public sphere, and the violence that continues to be perpetrated in Peru.