CARACAS, Venezuela — Two powerful explosions ripped into the Spanish Embassy and Colombian Consulate in Caracas minutes apart early Tuesday, stoking fears of a violent escalation of the dispute between President Hugo Chavez and his opponents.
The two blasts about 2 a.m. blew out windows for blocks and injured four people, leaving some residents in a posh neighborhood near the Spanish Embassy believing they had experienced an earthquake. The four-story Colombian Consulate was turned into a charred, windowless shell.
The explosions came less than 48 hours after Chavez warned the governments of Colombia and Spain, as well as the United States, against “meddling” in Venezuela’s affairs. The three countries have criticized Chavez’s recent crackdown on his opponents.
No one claimed responsibility for the bombings, but leaflets scattered at both sites were signed by a pro-government group, leading to speculation that radical supporters of the president were responsible.
Government officials rejected the accusation, saying the leaflets could have been planted by opponents to the government.
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel repudiated the attacks as “a form of terrorism never seen in Venezuela” and suggested that Chavez opponents may have been involved.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Philip Reeker condemned the bombings, saying they underscored the need for all sides to honor a Feb. 18 non-violence pledge, refrain from “confrontational rhetoric” and create a truth commission to investigate violent incidents.
One leaflet left at the Spanish Embassy was addressed to Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States who has led peace talks in Venezuela, as well as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who also has helped with the peace process. The note read in part: “The revolution does not need your intervention. The armed people will resolve this crisis.”
The bombings highlight the tension in Venezuela only weeks after a nationwide strike hobbled Venezuela’s oil industry, caused food and gasoline shortages and cost the country an estimated
$4 billion.
The strike, which fizzled early this month, was aimed at forcing Chavez to resign from office, call early elections or accept a non-binding referendum on his rule.
— Patrice M. Jones,
Chicago Tribune (KRT)
