Retaliation: British Consulate in Ecuador Attacked

Home-made grenade damaged buildings of Britain's consulate in Guayaquil. No deaths reported
Britain's honorary consulate in the southeastern Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil was attacked by a grenade thrower, but no injuries or deaths were caused, Ecuadorian police said on Monday.

The police said the home-made grenade was thrown at the British consulate earlier in the morning. The blast damaged buildings of the consulate.

Police General Edgar Vaca told the Associated Press news agency that a group called the People's Revolutionary Militias had claimed responsibility for the attack in an e-mail. The e-mail condemned the United States and Britain for attacking Iraq.

BBC said that since August, the group has exploded three small bombs, including one in the capital, Quito. In prior attacks, the group has scattered leaflets urging Ecuadoreans not to vote in elections last year and later criticizing President Lucio Gutierrez for launching economic austerity measures.

Following the explosion, police strengthened security around the consulate and made further investigations. British honorary consul in Guayaquil, Colin Armstrong, told local media he believed the attack was perpetrated by a local radical organization opposed to British participation in the United States-led war in Iraq.

In Latin America, the anti-war movements are very active and organize large demonstrations at each capital of the region. On Monday, 40,000 protesters spilt into the streets of Buenos Aires to mark a new anniversary of the 1976 military coup and to protest against the war.

The Capital of Argentina has daily protest and "peace tents" have been placed in the main square of Buenos Aires. All the communities, from the Jewish people to the Arab people back these activities. Also, the hegemonic Catholic Church has expressed its dislike of the war, together with leaders from the Greek and Russian Orthodoxy.

Hernan Etchaleco PRAVDA.Ru Argentina

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