Lurgio Gavilán Sánchez

About the Author

Lurgio Gavilán Sánchez is a Peruvian author, anthropologist, and former child soldier whose life experiences inform his poignant explorations of violence, redemption, and resilience in Latin America. Born into the turbulent era of Peru's internal conflict, Gavilán was conscripted into the Shining Path guerrilla movement as a child, later transitioning to the military before pursuing higher education and a career in academia. His memoir When Rains Became Floods: A Child Soldier's Story (Latin America in Translation) offers a raw, unflinching account of survival amid ideological warfare, blending personal testimony with broader reflections on societal trauma. As a scholar at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Gavilán continues to write and research the intersections of memory, conflict, and human rights, advocating for the voices of those marginalized by history.