Thread: Mexico's "little problem" another reason to guard

Tuesday - September 11, 2007
Another Reason to Guard the Border: Mexico has a Little Problem
http://thevirtuousrepublic.com/

Add another reason to the list list of why the U.S. must guard its southern border. It seems Mexico has a real, honest goodness insurgency on their hands:

A shadowy leftist guerrilla group took credit for a string of explosions that ripped apart at least six Mexican oil and gas pipelines Monday, rattling financial markets and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production.

The six explosions could be seen miles away, and set off fires that sent flames and black smoke shooting high above the Gulf coast state of Veracruz.

At least a dozen pipelines, most carrying natural gas, were affected, said Jesus Reyes Heroles, the head of Mexico's oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, without providing specifics. The explosions occurred in valve stations where different pipelines intersect.

He said there would be hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production and about nine states and the capital, Mexico City, would be affected.

"It is a big blow," he said. "You can't store natural gas or transport it by truck."

The blasts caused brief jitters in international markets, with natural gas futures up as much as 20.2 cents on news of the explosions, although prices dropped in later trading. One oil pipeline was hit in Monday's attack but Pemex said the damage wouldn't affect crude exports.

Some local factories were forced to shut after natural gas supplies were cut. Residential supplies were not expected to be affected.

There were no immediate reports of injuries directly caused by the explosions and fires, although Fernando Leon Yepez, a civil defense official in Omealca, reported that two elderly women died of heart attacks shortly after the explosions.

It was the second time in three months that the so-called People's Revolutionary Army claimed responsibility for a pipeline attack as part of what it has labeled its "prolonged people's war" against "the anti-people government."

The group, known as the EPR, is a secretive, tiny rebel group that staged several armed attacks on government and police installations in southern Mexico in the 1990s. It was later weakened by internal divisions, leaving it unclear which splinter group may have carried out Monday's attacks.

The EPR claimed responsibility for a July attack on a major gas pipeline from Mexico City to Guadalajara in western Mexico that forced at least a dozen major companies, including Honda Motor Co., Kellogg Co. and The Hershey Co., to suspend or scale back operations.

That attack sent the Mexican government scrambling to increase security at "strategic installations" across Mexico. It was not clear what security measures were in place at the pipelines that exploded Monday.

At least some of the Mexican people are DOING something about their corrupt government. If they can overthrow their corrupt government, ruling classes and drug cartels more power to them! Viva la revolucion!

Originally Posted by Sam-I-am

At least some of the Mexican people are DOING something about their corrupt government. If they can overthrow their corrupt government, ruling classes and drug cartels more power to them! Viva la revolucion!

Amen to that, Sam, but I fear those leftist 'gorillas' could have ties to Al Qeda on the move.

Originally Posted by Sam-I-am

At least some of the Mexican people are DOING something about their corrupt government. If they can overthrow their corrupt government, ruling classes and drug cartels more power to them! Viva la revolucion!

Since when is destroying valuable fuel producing positive change? This is analogous to the American anarchists who burn down ski resorts to make environmental protests. The cause might be right--or partly right--but the tactic is really dangerous.

Originally Posted by Captainron

Originally Posted by Sam-I-am

At least some of the Mexican people are DOING something about their corrupt government. If they can overthrow their corrupt government, ruling classes and drug cartels more power to them! Viva la revolucion!

Since when is destroying valuable fuel producing positive change? This is analogous to the American anarchists who burn down ski resorts to make environmental protests. The cause might be right--or partly right--but the tactic is really dangerous.

What else are they going to do? Aside from assassinating corrupt politicians, corrupt judges and corrupt law enforcement personnel? I don't think they've killed anyone so they're making a statement that while violent and destructive , at least isn't homicidal and makes a political point.

Originally Posted by Captainron

Since when is destroying valuable fuel producing positive change?

I would have to agree. Many don't seem to realize that Mexico's main crude oil production levels have fallen drastically over the last year or two - mainly because their big field in the Gulf is past its peak and on the way down. This is happenning much quicker than expected and can only lead to a further eroding of the Mexican economy - at least for the average citizen as the wealthy merely hoarde their ill-gotten gains in off-shore accounts.

And where do average Mexican citizens go to escape the poverty induced by a collapsing economic situation?