Insurgents attacking Mexico pipelines

Houston Chronicle:

An obscure guerrilla group that has been barely active for a decade took responsibility Tuesday for a recent series of pipeline explosions in central Mexico.

The People's Revolutionary Army, which until now has been active mostly in Guerrero, Oaxaca, and other southern Mexican states, said in a communique that "several platoons" of its militants blew up the pipelines in the past week as part of a new campaign.

"The order to begin a national campaign of punishing the interests of the oligarchy and this illegitimate government has been put in play," said the statement.

Mexican officials seemed to authenticate the group's claims. Presidential spokesman Maximiliano Cortazar said that investigations have been launched "to punish those responsible" and that tighter security measures have been ordered.

A statement by the federal interior ministry, responsible for internal security, said the government "categorically condemns the attacks against the Pemex installations."

The guerrilla communique said militants from the group — known by its Spanish acronym, EPR — planted eight explosive devices at pipelines near the cities of Celaya and Salamanca in Guanajuato state last Thursday and another in a town in neighboring Queretaro state early Tuesday.

Pemex, the government's petroleum monopoly, operates a refinery near Salamanca.

Most of the damage occurred on a 36-inch pipeline carrying natural gas. Other explosions damaged a 16-inch oil pipeline. The explosions caused shortages of gas to industries in Guadalajara and other central Mexican cities.

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Insurgents get a lot of bang for the buck with attacks on infrastructure. While this is a direct attack on Mexico and Pemex, it is an indirect attack on the US which imports much of its oil from Mexico using this infrastructure. While the "obscure" insurgent group is claiming credit, I think Mexico need to look at whether they are getting funding or support from Hugo Chavez or Iran. This is the type of indirect approach that Iran and its allies would use to attack. Both have been propping up Central American communist regimes who might also participate in sponsoring such attacks. Chavez is angry with Mexico for rejecting his left wing agenda and for its free trade agreement with the US. We should be prepared to help Mexico in this battle.