From irritation to threat

RESIDENTS of Santiago have become somewhat immune to the bomb attacks that have dogged their city for the past decade. There have been about 200 of them, but most of the devices have been small and have exploded at night when the streets are empty. Santiaguiños have regarded them as a nuisance rather than a serious security threat.

But the bomb of September 8th was different. It went off at lunchtime in a packed underground food hall at a busy metro station. It injured 14 people, some seriously. One woman had her fingers amputated. Investigators say the device was made from gunpowder packed into a fire extinguisher and detonated with a timer. It was placed in a rubbish bin. The police are looking for two suspects caught on CCTV cameras.

The attack has shocked the residents of what is arguably the safest capital city in Latin America. But the signs were there that this might happen. On July 15th, a bomb was planted on a metro train as it sat in a station. The police evacuated the station before it went off. Other devices have targeted banks, police stations, army barracks, churches, embassies, the headquarters of political parties,...Continue reading



from Americas view http://ift.tt/1p30miv