2008 Morelia grenade attacks

Infobox civilian attack
title=2008 Morelia grenade attacks


caption=
location=Morelia, Michoacán
coordinates = coord|display=inline,title|19.7024|-101.1936
target=Center Square of the City
date=15 September 2008
time=
timezone=
type=Grenade
fatalities=At least 8
injuries=At least 100
perps=Unknown
motive=

The 2008 Morelia grenade attacks took place on 15 September 2008 on the occasion of the Mexican Independence Day anniversary when thousands of people were united in the Plaza Melchor Ocampo, the main square of the Mexican city of Morelia, Michoacán. Shortly after the Grito in that city, led by Governor Leonel Godoy, two grenades were thrown into the crowds, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 100.

The attacks

The first blast was reported shortly after 23:00, on the Plaza itself, as the governor was intoning the traditional "vivas" to the heroes of the nation; the second took place some minutes later, in a sidestreet located four blocks away. [cite news |url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/538695.html |title=Atentados en Morelia: Suman ocho muertos |date=2008-09-16 |access|date=2008-09-16 |publisher="El Universal" |language=Spanish] [cite news |first=Rafael |last=Rivera |url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/538667.html |title=Dejan explosiones tres muertos y decenas de heridos |date=2008-09-16 |access|date=2008-09-16 |publisher="El Universal" |language=Spanish]

Two further explosions were reported in the immediate aftermath: one at 01:00, leaving the city along the highway to Salamanca, Guanajuato; and a fourth at 01:15, in the Santa María district in the vicinity of Morelia's bandera monumental. [cite news |first=Rafael |last=Rivera |url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/538669.html |title=Atentados en Morelia: Registran otra explosión |date=2008-09-16 |access|date=2008-09-16 |publisher="El Universal" |language=Spanish]

uspects

The police have blamed drug cartels for the grenade attacks, specifically the La Familia gang. La Familia has denied it and instead blamed Los Zetas. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/world/americas/25mexico.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin] A week after the attacks, police arrested three men of the Los Zetas gang accused of throwing the grenades. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-lt-mexico-explosions,0,2378234.story]

Context

Morelia is the home town of President Felipe Calderón of the PAN, although the state of Michocán has traditionally been controlled by the opposition PRD. Michoacán has, since Calderón took office, been one of the federal government's focal points in its anti-drug efforts and initial suspicions indicated that the atrocity was probably the work of the drugs cartels, either part of a battle for territory or as a warning to the government. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7618824.stm Deadly Mexico national day blasts] BBC News, 2008-09-16,] Condemnation of the incident across the country was unanimous, as such tactics of the drug lords in attacking random citizen congregations was unprecedented in Mexican history.

References

External links

* [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1841623,00.html Time Magazine: Terror Bloodies Mexico Celebrations]