This bin Laden packs a punch in Venezuela

Reuters Posted January 2 2003, 1:34 PM EST

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelans seeking an extra bang for their New Year's parties or political protests have found a noisy new ally -- the Bin Laden.

The name of Osama bin Laden, leader of the militant Islamist al Qaeda network and suspected mastermind of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, has been borrowed by Venezuelans to describe a particularly loud, powerful -- and dangerous -- type of firecracker.

As in many countries in South America and Asia, Venezuelans use fireworks and firecrackers to add zest to feast days, Christmas and New Year celebrations -- and political marches.

At a New Year's party in Caracas held early on Wednesday by tens of thousands of foes of leftist President Hugo Chavez, the thunderous clap of exploding ``Bin Ladens'' punctuated a barrage of firecrackers and fireworks.

In ear-splitting decibel power, the ``Bin Laden'' tops the bewildering arsenal of fireworks sold at this time of year by street vendors in bustling downtown Caracas.

Before the Sept. 11 attacks, the noisy explosives went Spanish names like ``Tumbaranchos'' (Hut-destroyer) or ''Matasuegras'' (Mother-in-Law killer).

But the Bin Laden, a battery-sized cylinder wrapped in colored paper and packed with gunpowder, has passed into the popular Venezuelan vocabulary.

``The Bin Laden is the most dangerous ... that is powerful gunpowder,'' said 22-year-old Juan Diego Ramirez, selling fireworks at a small stand in central Caracas.

``Bin Laden was someone who really made a bang, which resounded around the world,'' said fellow vendor Javier Lopez.

Caracas Fire Chief Rodolfo Briceno says Bin Ladens can maim and kill. He says fireworks killed nine people and injured over 200 in December. Fireworks started at least 400 fires in the last two months, including a big Nov. 18 blaze in Caracas that killed three people and injured more than 50.