Manuel Rubén Abimael Guzmán Reynoso, also known by his nom de guerre Presidente Gonzalo (English: Chairman Gonzalo), a former professor of philosophy, was the leader of the Maoist insurgency often referred colloquially to as "Shining Path" (Sendero Luminoso in Spanish). He was born on 3 December 1934. Shining Path has been active in Peru since the late 1970s and began what it calls "the armed struggle" on 17 March 1980.