CORA
is watching you !
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Manuel Rodriquez Patriotic Front |
| The following information is based on
"Patterns of Global Terrorism" - US State Dept.
Founded in 1983 as the armed wing of the Chilean Communist Party, the FPMR was named for the hero of Chile's war of independence against Spain. In the late 1980s the organization splintered into two factions, with one faction becoming a political party in 1991. The dissident wing FPMR/D is Chile's only remaining active terrorist group. They are believed to have between 50 and one hundred members. |
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FPMR/D attacks civilians and international targets, including US businesses and
Mormon churches. In 1993, FPMR/D bombed two McDonald's restaurants and attempted
to bomb a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. Successful government
counter-terrorist operations have undercut the organization significantly. Four
FPMR/D members escaped from prison using a helicopter in December 1996. One of
them, Patricio Ortiz Montenegro, fled to Switzerland where he requested
political asylum. Chile requested Ortiz's extradition, but the Swiss
Government—fearing Chile would not safeguard Ortiz's physical and psychological
well-being—denied the request. Chilean authorities continued to pursue the
whereabouts of the three others who escaped with Ortiz.
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