Peruvian ethnic nationalist leader who led uprising released from prison

The Peruvian leader of a failed ethno-nationalist uprising in 2005 was released from prison on Saturday after serving a sentence for leading the rebellion, shaking Peru with the prospect of his re-emergence as an influential political leader.

Antauro Humala, 59, the brother of former President Ollanta Humala, is the leader of the Ethnocacerist movement, which advocates a power grab by marginalized indigenous Peruvians. The group draws inspiration from the ancient Inca empire, a 19th-century war hero and a leftist general who led a coup in 1968. In 2005, Antauro led an uprising in the southern Andean city of Andahuaylas, where he and his followers took over a police station for several days. Four police officers were killed in a shootout and Antauro was imprisoned. "Now we are out and I can tell you that we are all proud of what we did in our rebellion in Andahuaylas," Antauro said after his release. Although Antauro is best known for this uprising, he and Ollanta also led a smaller rebellion in 2000. Ollanta served as president from 2011 to 2016 and has repeatedly refused to pardon his brother. He governed as a centrist, breaking with Antauro's political positions. Both Ollanta and Antauro grew up in an upper middle class home in Lima and their father Ulises pushed them to become political leaders. Antauro sought to pursue his political interest from prison by forming alliances with Peruvian parties. According to local media, Antauro still has a following and a handful of supporters outside the prison awaiting his release. Peru's prison authority, INPE, says the decision was made independently, although current President Pedro Castillo spoke favorably of pardoning Antauro during his election campaign.