War of words over a guerrilla 'war'

Mexico is not at war.  The "drug war" consumes some cities and towns, but the vast majority of Mexicans don't live in fear of getting caught in the crossfire between competing traffickers and the police. And the guerrillas of the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR in Spanish) may have declared war on the government of President Felipe Calderon, but Mexicans only notice when the EPR blows up an oil or gasoline pipeline, something it hasn't done since September. Still, a rather vociferous war of words has broken out on the Internet this month between the EPR and Mexico's Interior Ministry.

On Dec. 3, the EPR issued a communique announcing it would soon resume hostilities against the government. At 2,000 words, it was a typically verbose assault on Mexico's political elite, commenting on a variety of political actors and issues, including the Supreme Court, the Catholic Church and the recent reform of the social security system. The EPR accused Calderon of selling out the country to the United States by agreeing to U.S. military and logistic aid in the fight against organized crime. And it said it would continue its bombing campaign until the government released two EPR militants who disappeared earlier this year.

Four days later, the Interior Ministry shot back with a detailed, angry and highly unusual 1,600-word response. The government doesn't have the missing men, it said, and the EPR knows this. "The supposed 'dirty war' of which they are victims does not exist," said Ministry Bulletin No. 331/07. "In the government of Felipe Calderon, no one has been and no one will be persecuted for merely being a social activist."

On Monday night, more than 3 million people in greater Mexico City were left without power after an explosion rocked the city. Rumors swirled that the EPR had made good on its promise to renew "hostilities." But no: Local officials said the explosion had been caused by a short circuit at a local substation.

Posted by Héctor Tobar in Mexico City