Caracas blasts injure four

breakingnews.iol.ie 25/02/2003 - 10:53:59 Two powerful explosions injured four people and damaged the Spanish embassy and the Colombian consulate in the Venezuelan capital early today. Broken glass covered the street outside both buildings while windows in residences almost a block away were shattered by the force of the blasts. Steel gates at the buildings were twisted. Leaflets supporting President Hugo Chavez’s so-called Bolivarian Revolution, a political movement based loosely on the writings of 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar, were found outside the Spanish Embassy. “We believe these were very potent bombs judging by the damage done,” said the mayor of Caracas’ Chacao district, Leopoldo Lopez. The first blast was outside the Spanish embassy in eastern Caracas at about 2am The second explosion, 15 minutes later, rocked the Colombian consulate. The blasts lightly injured four people, including a night watchmen. The explosions came shortly after Chavez warned Colombia and Spain, among other countries, not to meddle in Venezuela’s domestic affairs. Both nations had expressed concern over the arrest of opposition leader Carlos Fernandez, who was arrested last week for his role in leading a two-month general strike against Chavez. Authorities said no arrests had been made in connection with the two explosions early this morning.