led an MRTA commando squad in seizing the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima, which started what is now called the Japanese embassy hostage crisis. The MRTA's main demand was for the exchange of the hostages for 465 members of the MRTA in prison, including Cerpa's wife Nancy Gilvonio, the Chilean members of the organization, and U.S. citizen Lori Berenson. The government rejected the demands, and on 22 April 1997, after 126 days, a 140-man team of commandos of the Peruvian Armed Forces stormed the Japanese ambassador's residence to rescue all the hostages. One hostage and two soldiers died in the assault, as did Cerpa along with the rest of the MRTA squad. On 24 April 1997, Cerpa's body was interred without ceremony in a cemetery in the Lima suburb of Villa María del Triunfo. Footnotes External links Néstor Cerpa Cartolini on the "Biographical Dictionary S9" 1953 births 1997 deaths Internal conflict in Peru Anti-revisionists Peruvian communists Peruvian revolutionaries Peruvian people of Italian descent Peruvian people of indigenous peoples descent Peruvian guerrillas killed in action People from Lima