Small bomb explodes at Mexico City GM showroom

CNN
September 1, 2001

Small bomb explodes at Mexico City GM showroom

                 MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- A small homemade bomb exploded at a
                 showroom of U.S. automaker General Motors Corp. on Saturday without
                 causing injuries, while a second device planted at a McDonalds' restaurant
                 smoldered but did not detonate, authorities said.

                 The bomb exploded at a Chevrolet showroom, operated by General Motors
                 (GM.N) , near Mexico City's airport, shattering windows and collapsing part of
                 a ceiling, Mexico City Attorney General Bernardo Batiz told reporters.

                 The second device was found at an outlet of U.S. fast food chain McDonalds
                 Corp. (MCD.N) in front of the Chevrolet showroom. The device gave off
                 smoke and a foul odor, Batiz said.

                 The explosion came as world trade officials were gathered in Mexico City in a
                 bid to resolve disagreements that could block the launch of new world trade
                 talks later this year.

The blast also occurred just hours before President Vicente Fox was scheduled
to give his first state of the union address.

                 Police said no one had claimed responsibility for the attacks, but radio reports
                 said a guerrilla group calling itself the Group of Guerrilla Combatants of Jose
                 Martia Morelos y Pavo was responsible. The group has never appeared publicly
                 in Mexico.

                 Batiz said police were beefing up patrols near Congress, where Fox was
                 scheduled to give his address, and at restaurants, banks and businesses, which
                 could be targets for guerrilla groups.

                 Saturday's explosion follows a string of other small bomb blasts at branches of
                 Banamex, a Mexican bank recently acquired by U.S. financial giant Citigroup
                 (C.N) for $12.5 billion.

                 The bombs caused slight damage but no injuries. They are believed to be the
                 work of a little-known guerrilla group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
                 the People, or FARP.

Batiz said Saturday's bomb at the Chevrolet showroom was made of powder
and was more powerful than the devices detonated at the Banamex branches.