Terrorism in Chile

Terrorism in Chile has occurred since the 1980s and continues until the present. A number of bombings targeted public places, such as subway stations, as well as commercial institutions and interests, such as banks and ATMs. State sponsored terrorism also occurred under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet which lasted from 1979 to 1990.

Terror attacks

1986 Tobalaba station bombing

At the end of the military regime in 1986, a bomb exploded in the Tobalaba station in Santiago, Chile, killing one person and injuring seven others.[1]

2005 to 2014 bombings

Over 200 individual bombings occurred from 2005 to 2014, over eighty groups claimed responsibility, however, authorities were not sure if it was multiple groups, related splinter cells or a single group which changed names.[2]

2014 Santiago subway bombing

On 8 September 2014, a bombing occurred at the Escuela Militar metro station in Santiago, Chile. Fourteen people were injured, several seriously. No group has claimed responsibility, however, the attacks have been attributed to a Chilean Anarchist group, the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire.[3]

State sponsored terrorism

From 1973 to 1990, Chile was governed by the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Under Pinochet's rule, political repression and state terrorism was committed by the Chilean armed forces, the Police, government agents and civilians in the service of security agencies.[4]

Responses and counterterrorism efforts

Pinochet anti-terror laws

During the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, an anti-terror law was enacted which allows suspects to be held in isolation without charges. The law also permits the use of phone taps and secret witnesses in investigations. This anti-terror law is currently in use by the government in its response to bombing attacks.[5]

Criticism

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized the Chilean government for inappropriately using anti-terrorist legislation against indigenous (Mapuche) groups involved in land conflicts. While recognizing that crimes have certainly been committed, HRW believes that they are not comparable to terrorist acts.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Chile Shaken by Worst Attack in 30 Years." The Latin American Times. Accessed January 30, 2015.
  2. ↑ BBC News: Chileans baffled by persistent bomb attack, 20 August 2014s
  3. ↑ "Chile Investigates Terrorist Ties to Man Killed by Another Bomb on Santiago's Streets". Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Thomas Skidmore, Modern Latin America, Oxford University Press., 2004, p. 134.
  5. ↑ "New anti-terror law invoked in Chile after bomb injures 14." The Globe and Mail. Sep. 8, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Chile: Undue Process". Retrieved 2008-08-28.
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