Mexican Pipeline Blast Prompts Factory Shutdowns (Update3)

[struggle4progress]

Source: Bloomberg

Mexican Pipeline Blast Prompts Factory Shutdowns (Update3)

By Thomas Black and Adriana Arai

July 11 (Bloomberg) -- More than 100 companies in Mexico including automaker Nissan Motor Co. and cereal maker Kellogg Co. reduced or suspended production after a pipeline explosion yesterday interrupted natural gas supplies.

The blast in the central state of Queretaro damaged a 36- inch pipeline operated by state-owned oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, cutting supplies to the cities of Guadalajara, Queretaro, Aguascalientes and Leon. A guerilla group that calls itself the Popular Revolutionary Army claimed responsibility. ~snip~

The attorney general's office, Mexico's top enforcement ministry, said today in an e-mail that the people the armed group demanded be freed aren't in federal custody or prisons. The ministry said it's looking into whether they have been detained by state or city authorities. ~snip~

The rebel group also claimed responsibility for two explosions last week on a separate Petroleos Mexicanos gas pipeline in Guanajuato state that prompted the evacuation of 4,100 people. The blasts damaged nearby gasoline and gas-liquids lines. ~snip~

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aOC2l_Tn1UlU&refer=latin_america

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July 11, 2007, 7:34AM
Guerrillas claim to be behind Mexico explosions
Eight attacks on pipelines have caused shortage of gas for industries

MEXICO CITY — 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. ~snip~

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. ~snip~

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4958205.html


Army guards Mexico oil industry after threat
Catherine Bremer, Reuters
Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2007
By DUDLEY ALTHAUS
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Mexico City Bureau

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Extra soldiers and federal police were deployed to guard Mexico's oil wells and pipelines on Wednesday after a rebel group said it caused explosions at fuel pipelines as part of an anti-government campaign.

State oil monopoly Pemex, a major U.S. supplier, said it beefed up its police and army presence at installations after the left-wing Popular Revolutionary Army, or EPR, said on Tuesday it was behind attacks on four pipelines in the past week. It vowed to carry out further attacks.

Pemex added two extra helicopters to its surveillance operations and was working with the defense ministry and federal police on the best way to guard the country's pipelines, which stretch over 14,000 km (8,700 miles). ~snip~

Despite the swift response, some commentators in Mexico say they are skeptical of the tiny rebel group's ability to conduct a serious guerrilla campaign. ~snip~

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=02dccc91-59ed-45ec-bc93-5ede4df457cc&k=93181

[movonne]

1. Is this payback for putting an illegal prisident in...the people

believe that this is so...

[burrowowl]

2. K&R

Think about it!

[Robbien]

3. Figures.! The Investors news site has already labeled the group Marxist

Energy: It didn't draw much global attention, but a Marxist group's terror attack on Mexico's gas pipelines signals new trouble with long-range implications for both Mexico and the U.S. It needs to be nipped fast.

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1501&status=article&id=269046944815919

[Robbien]

4. Another article implies this may be deliberate sabotage by the govt

The opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party, or PRD, was more skeptical.

"It's been a long time since the rebel group has committed any act of sabotage, and there seems no reason for them to attack Pemex" now, the leftist party said in a statement Wednesday.

It added that it wouldn't discount "a self-inflicted attack" by the government as a means of distracting public attention from the country's problems.

Senators from all three major parties criticized the government for the lack of clarity in its handling of the pipeline attacks.

The interior ministry, which oversees internal security, initially dismissed the possibility of foul play in the pipeline explosions on July 5 in Guanajuato. But Pemex later stated that it had suspected sabotage. It also revealed that it had been quietly shopping around for insurance against a terrorist attack since May, Reforma newspaper reported.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/4961253.html

[Divine Discontent]

5. wow...

wouldn't be surprising would it? That France gov't official blames b*sh of doing the same thing in '01, so who knows.

all I know is, if this keeps up, they'll have to start sending the jobs back to the US! OH NO, my CREST toothpaste won't be made in Mexico anymore!

www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<--- top '08 items & antib*sh stickers!

[struggle4progress]

6. Thanks for the link!

[mountainvue]

7. More:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/07/11/mexico.gas.ap/index.html

Gas pipeline attack in Mexico forces factories to shut down

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- Honda, Hershey's and other multinational companies temporarily shut down their factories in western Mexico on Wednesday after rebels attacked a key natural gas pipeline.

snip

At least a dozen companies including Honda Motor Co., Kellogg Co.'s, The Hershey Co., Nissan Motor Co., and Grupo Modelo SA were forced to suspend or scale back operations because of the lack of natural gas, the daily newspaper Excelsior reported. They said they faced millions of dollars in losses.


So how do Kellog and Hershey like doing business in Mexico so far?