GOPE detonate bomb at Justice Ministry in Temuco

From Klinamen translated by This is Our Job

December 31, 2009

Rosende explained that the device was “homemade”: “Now some anarchist group will appear” to claim the act, he said.

Temuco Chief Prosecutor Sergio Moya specified that the bomb found hours ago in the front garden of that city’s Justice Ministry building is characteristically similar to three others that exploded in Temuco during the year, as well as those recently placed in Santiago and claimed by anarchist groups.

He said the explosive device was made out of a one-kilo automobile fire extinguisher stuffed with black powder and an industrial detonator.

These facts were confirmed by Interior Undersecretary Patricio Rosende, who pointed out: “It’s the same type of homemade device we’ve seen in the past: a fire extinguisher, powder, a slow-burning fuse.”

Two weeks ago, one such homemade bomb was left behind and detonated at a branch of the Cruz Verde pharmacy in Temuco, and in December of last year another similar device exploded at the entrance to the Public Prison Advocate’s building.

A pro-Mapuche anarchist has been arrested in connection with the current case. Before placing the bomb, he sent an e-mail announcing the attack to a local radio station from an Internet cafe.

These attempts have generally coincided with the arrest of Mapuche activists who attack the property of farmers and logging companies.

Nevertheless, in this instance, no pamphlets, leaflets, or communiqués claiming the act were found at the scene.

Regarding this matter, Rosende said: “We still don’t have information about a claim, but now the imaginary name of some anarchist group against society, against the world, against everything will appear, as they have done this before.”

Additionally, the undersecretary confirmed: “We are going to continue to take all measures at the government’s disposal in order to put an end to these acts, but we expect a bit more action from the prosecutor’s office.”

According to reports, the bomb left behind at the Justice Ministry this morning didn’t explode because of a failure in the mechanism that was supposed to activate the detonator and the powder.

The device was removed from the site by the Carabineros’ GOPE specialists in order to perform the requisite analysis.