Explosions in Mexico City against Ruiz

Three simultaneous explosions in Mexico City on Nov.5 targeted the offices of one of the country's main political parties, the headquarters of the country's electoral tribunal and a bank. Civil protection authorities said no injuries were reported but declined to discuss details of the explosions. Mexican radio station Formato 21 reported that the entrance to the headquarters of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was damaged, with some windows broken. The radio station quoted a PRI representative as saying the explosions were carried out by groups trying to destabilize the government prior to President-elect Felipe Calderon's swearing-in on Dec. 1. An umbrella group composed of five armed revolutionary organizations claimed responsibility for the bombings. In an internet statement posted on Nov. 7, the coalition said it will continue to detonate bombs and expand attacks to target 40 national and multinational corporations throughout Mexico as long as Ulises Ruiz remains governor of Oaxaca state. The coalition is made up of the Lucio Cabanas Barrientos Revolutionary Movement (MR-LCB), Democratic Revolutionary Tendency-People's Army (TDR-EP), Insurgent Organization-May 1, Dec. 2 Execution Brigade and Popular Liberation Brigades. Of these groups, the MR-LCB and TDR-EP are the most well-established. Both are more than five years old, and are offshoots of the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR), a left-wing guerrilla group that operates throughout Mexico.