Long after grisly end, legend of Peruvian revolutionary Túpac Amaru still fascinates

Images of Tupac Amaru and wife Micaela Bastidas are displayed at the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion museum in Lima, Peru. Photo: AP

Roads and schools in Peru carry the name of Túpac Amaru. A framed depiction of him - stern gaze, flowing hair, wide-brimmed hat - hangs in the government palace in Lima. He inspired a comic book superhero, Tupaqman. A historical drama series to be released this year explores his life.

The muleteer and trader who claimed descent from Inca royals, led an Andean revolt against Spanish colonial rule and was gruesomely executed on May 18,1781, has been appropriated as a symbol by guerrillas and governments.