Explosions outside Spanish embassy and Colombian consulate in Caracas injure four
By:CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer February 25, 2003
CARACAS, Venezuela - Two powerful explosions damaged the Spanish embassy and the Colombian consulate minutes apart in the Venezuelan capital early Tuesday, injuring four people and raising tensions in a city still recovering from an anti-government strike.
Broken glass covered the street outside both buildings and their steel gates were twisted by the force of the blasts. Windows in residences almost a block away were blown out.
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 watchman, 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 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.
The strike brought Venezuela's economy to a virtual standstill and crippled production in the country's all-important oil industry. Opposition leaders staged the protests in hopes of getting Chavez to step down or hold early elections.
Federal agents are trying to hunt down another opposition leader, labor boss Carlos Ortega, who is also wanted for alleged crimes linked to the work stoppage.
Authorities said no arrests had been made in the two explosions.
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, coordinator of the "Friends" group, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss "the worsening of the Venezuelan situation."
The opposition says Chavez has ruined the economy and is amassing power in his own hands. Chavez accuses his critics of trying to spark a coup.
Negotiations between the government and the opposition were suspended last week because Gaviria had commitments abroad, but are to resume Wednesday.