Morelia grenade attacks

The Morelia grenade attacks took place on 15 September 2008 on the occasion of the Mexican Independence Day anniversary when thousands of people were gathered 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.

Morelia grenade attacks
LocationMorelia, Michoacán
Coordinates19.7024°N 101.1936°W / 19.7024; -101.1936
Date15 September 2008
TargetPeople in city centre
Attack type
Grenade
DeathsAt least 8
InjuredAt least 100
PerpetratorsLa Familia Michoacana

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.[1][2]

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.[3]

Suspects

The police have blamed drug cartels for the grenade attacks, specifically the La Familia Michoacana gang. La Familia denied it and instead blamed Los Zetas.[4] A week after the attacks, police arrested three men of the Los Zetas gang accused of throwing the grenades.[5]

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 PRI and 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.[6] 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
  1. "Atentados en Morelia: Suman ocho muertos" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  2. Rivera, Rafael. "Dejan explosiones tres muertos y decenas de heridos" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  3. Rivera, Rafael. "Atentados en Morelia: Registran otra explosión" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  4. Lacey, Marc (2008-09-25). "Grenade Attack in Mexico Breaks From Deadly Script". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
  5. Chicago Tribune dead link]
  6. Deadly Mexico national day blasts BBC News, 2008-09-16,
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