Explosions outside Spanish embassy, Colombian consulate in Caracas injure 4

www.canada.com Canadian Press Tuesday, February 25, 2003

CARACAS (AP) - Two powerful explosions minutes apart damaged the Spanish embassy and the Colombian consulate in the Venezuelan capital early Tuesday, injuring four people and raising tensions in a city still recovering from a bitter anti-government strike.

Broken glass covered the street outside both buildings while windows in residences almost a block away were shattered by the force of the explosion. Steel gates at the buildings were twisted. Leaflets supporting President Hugo Chavez's so-called "Bolivarian Revolution," a political movement loosely based 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 2 a.m. The second explosion, 15 minutes later, rocked the Colombian consulate. The blasts lightly injured four people, including a night watchmen, Lopez said.

The explosions came a two days after Chavez warned Colombia and Spain, among other countries, not to meddle in Venezuela's domestic affairs.

Both countries 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.

Federal agents are trying to hunt down another opposition leader, labour boss Carlos Ortega, who is also wanted for alleged crimes linked to the work stoppage.

Authorities said no arrests had been made in connection with the two explosions early Tuesday morning.

Chavez responded angrily Sunday to foreign critics of the charges against the two strike leaders. He directed warnings at some members of a "Group of Friends" initiative created to bolster the negotiating process.

"Don't mess with our affairs!" Chavez said, singling out Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, the United States, Spain and Colombia.

On Monday, opposition representatives sent a letter to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, co-ordinator of the "Friends" group, calling for an urgent to discuss "the worsening of the Venezuelan situation."

OAS-mediated negotiations, which were suspended last week because Gaviria had other commitments abroad, are slated to resume on Wednesday.