---
category: Private Organization
location: Ayacucho, Peru
summary: The University of San Cristobal de Huamanga in Ayacucho, Peru, was where
  Shining Path founder Abimael Guzman Reynoso taught philosophy and where Ari Ben-Menashe
  used a faculty appointment as cover for an Israeli intelligence mission.
tags:
- Organization
- Education
- Peru
---

The [University of San Cristobal](/organizations/university-of-san-cristobal/) at [Ayacucho](/places/ayacucho/), [Peru](/places/peru/), was where [Abimael Guzman Reynoso](/people/abimael-guzman-reynoso/), the founder of the [Shining Path](/organizations/shining-path/), was formerly a professor of philosophy. Many of its professors were members of the [Shining Path](/organizations/shining-path/) or the Communist Party of [Peru](/places/peru/).[^1]

[Ari Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/) applied for a position to teach about the Middle East at the [University](/organizations/university-of-san-cristobal/) as a cover for his mission to secure rare minerals for [Israel's](/places/israel/) nuclear program. The rector of the [University](/organizations/university-of-san-cristobal/) accepted [Ben-Menashe](/people/ari-ben-menashe/) quickly, stating that his academic credentials were sufficient, and that his potential role as an intelligence officer was not their concern.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.