| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Bomb blast in Chile wounds 10; government blames 'terrorists' |
| 2014-09-10 |
[REUTERS] A bomb went kaboom!next to an underground train station in the Chilean capital of Santiago on Monday afternoon, wounding at least 10 people, and the government said it bore the signs of "a terrorist" act. The blast occurred at lunchtime in a fast-food restaurant in a small shopping and eating area next to the Escuela Militar metro station in the affluent residential and shopping neighborhood of Las Condes. "This is a cowardly act because it has as its objective to hurt people, create fear and even kill innocent people," President Michelle Bachelet said. "We're going to use all the weight of the law, including the anti-terrorist law, because those responsible for these acts have to pay," she said. Anti-terrorism laws give prosecutors more powers and allow for harsher sentencing. Bachelet asked for residents to remain calm, saying, "This is horrible, tremendously reprehensible, but Chile is and remains a safe country." No group has grabbed credit, and the police said the attack was being investigated. "This is an act that has all the hallmarks of a terrorist deed," Alvaro Elizalde, the government's chief front man, said in remarks to journalists outside La Moneda presidential palace. "There is no doubt. And it has been carried out with the intention of hurting innocent people." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Rather broad and ignorant brush yer painting with, pilgrim. Especially considering the history: [T]here have been a number of low-level attacks by anarchist groups in recent years, including one in July, and Monday's blast will put pressure on President Michelle Bachelet to respond at a time when her popularity is slipping and she has her plate full with a reform drive and worsening economy. A number of explosive devices have been planted close to banks and police stations in Chile in recent years. In the past, one member of an anarchist group has been killed and another injured trying to set off explosive devices, but no bystanders have been hurt. In July, incendiary devices exploded on an underground train and outside a church without causing injuries. Leaflets were found at the church site seeking "rights" for two Chileans held in Spain and linked to an extremist anarchist group. This week Chile commemorates the 41st anniversary of the 1973 military coup that removed socialist President Salvador Allende from power. The events of the coup still deeply divide Chilean society, and the anniversary is traditionally a time of protests that often turn violent. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-09-10 19:54 |
| #1 Chilean anti Semites didn't think this could happen to them. |
| Posted by: Cligum Sforza6283 2014-09-10 18:43 |