Long after grisly end, Túpac Amaru still fascinates in Peru NEW YORK (AP) — Fascination with Túpac Amaru persists in Peru, where past guerrilla groups and government leaders have appropriated his name. Roads and schools are named after him and a historical drama series to be released this year will explore his life. The muleteer and trader claimed descent from Inca royals, led an Andean revolt against Spanish colonial rule and was executed on May 18, 1781. This year is the bicentennial of Peru’s 1821 independence from Spain. Túpac Amaru and wife Micaela Bastidas are increasingly celebrated as having laid the groundwork for that struggle, which was led by Simón Bolivar and other leaders of European descent.