The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica has extended a message of condolence and solidarity to the Republic of Chile in light of the terror attacks that rocked the majestic capital city of Santiago on September 8^th. The Ministry’s communique number 3096 was issued just hours after press reports from Chile indicated that an explosion at a subway station left 14 people injured, two of them critically.

 

Author’s note: The original communication from the Ministry indicates loss of life; however, this does not seem to be the case according to media reports over the last few hours. The Costa Rica Star contacted the Ministry about this discrepancy during the morning hours of September 9^th.

 

The government and the people of Costa Rica express their most heartfelt solidarity to the people of the Republic of Chile […]

 

Upon learning that the government of Chile has characterized the explosion as an act of terrorism, the Chancellery of Costa Rica reiterates its repudiation and condemns all acts of violence perpetrated against innocent lives.

 

Monserrat Vargas, Chief Consular Officer in Santiago informed that preliminary reports issued by Chilean officials do not indicate that any Costa Rican nationals were injured by the terrorist attack. The Ministry added that there are about 180 Costa Ricans residing in Santiago.

 

A Reuters report published by The Guardian (UK) explained that Chile has not experienced terrorist attacks in at least 20 years, but that anarchist factions have been active in carrying out tenuous attacks as recently as July. Analyst believe that the subway station bombing yesterday could be a cowardly and opportunistic message designed to compromise the leadership of President Michelle Bachelet, whose popularity has taken a dive in recent months.

 

The Escuela Militar (Military Academy) station where the explosion took place is located in a very upscale residential and shopping district of Santiago.