Mexico Condemns Guerrilla Group for Gas Pipeline Blast
AFX News Limited Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The Mexican government condemned a series of bomb attacks by a small leftist guerrilla group that claimed to have caused a spectacular gas pipeline explosion early yesterday morning in central Mexico.
The condemnation came after the People's Revolutionary Army (EPR) claimed in an Internet statement responsibility for the blast, as well as three previous pipeline explosions this month.
The blast, near Corregidora, Queretaro, at about 0600 GMT, sent flames some 300 metres into the sky. There were no injuries and the surrounding community was evacuated, state oil company Pemex said in a statement, adding that the fire was under control.
EPR said the attacks were linked to the "detention/disappearance" of two EPR members in Oaxaca in southeastern Mexico, where social activists undertook a long campaign against the state's governor and security forces last year that resulted in 13 deaths.
The government said it "categorically condemned" the attacks and vowed to take action against the perpetrators.
"This criminal behavior aims at weakening democratic institutions, the heritage of Mexicans and the security of their families," said an interior ministry statement.
The government also said it would boost security over strategic infrastructure.
"The necessary investigations will be made to punish those responsible," said Max Cortazar, spokesman for President Felipe Calderon.
Earlier, Pemex blamed the explosions on antiquated equipment and on people trying to steal gas from the pipelines.
EPR surfaced first in 1996 in the southern state of Guerrero, and has cells in Guerrero and Oaxaca.
In the past it has launched attacks on international banks and businesses, though causing only minor damage.
Terrorist activity targeting the energy sector in Mexico, one of the world's major oil producers, could have a knock-on effect on global energy prices.
"This was a gas pipeline, not an oil pipeline, but even so, Mexico is noted for its oil exports to the US and any guerrilla activities focusing upon the energy business there is going to tend to push oil prices higher as well as gas prices," said Dennis Gartman, editor of The Gartman Letter trading note. |
