Prison, in a place like Peru, isn't exactly a European spa prison, but unlike the U.S., has its comforts. Prisoners buy and sell things, can eat anything relatives bring them, hold beauty contests, play soccer matches, and even marry and have children, all behind prison walls.

Well, not anymore. Peru's Marxist guerrillas, who are sitting in jail for murdering 30,000 people during the 1980s and 1990s, have just had their punch bowl yanked by Peru's tough President Toledo.  A couple of Shining Path terrorist lovebirds, one of whom is terror chief Abimael Guzman, were separated by the prison administration, and taken to different jails, much to the consternation of Reuters. President Toledo, who responds to local sentiment outside prison walls about these terrorists instead of the liberal media, had a different take on it, however:

"We're not going to pamper terrorists, we won't send them birthday cakes, or organize boat trips or romantic dinners,'' Toledo said, alluding to perks reportedly allowed Guzman to butter him up during peace talks with the government in 1993.

Well, this can't be good news for the whining American terrorist in jail on these same charges, Lori Berenson,  who's also in the Peruvian hoosegow on a terrorism conviction, and married and living with another guerrilla. We'll just wait to see what President Toledo has in store for her.

A.M. Mora y Leon   11 16 04