This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 211.30.206.11 (talk) at 06:12, 17 January 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 06:12, 17 January 2006 by 211.30.206.11 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front (Spanish: Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez) (FPMR) is a Communist guerrilla organization in Chile, named for a figure in Chile's independence movement, Manuel Rodríguez. The organization was most active during the 1973-1990 rule of Augusto Pinochet, who banned the Communist Party of Chile after overthrowing President Salvador Allende and seizing power in the Chilean coup of 1973.
In September 1983, the FPMR attacked Pinochet's car in an assassination attempt. Five of Pinochet's body guards were killed. Pinochet, however, only suffered minor injuries. The FPMR was responsible for various other lethal attacks during the dictatorship.
In 1986, Chilean security forces caught the FPMR smuggling an 80-ton shipment of weapons, including T-4 plastic explosives, RPG-7 and M72 LAW rocket launchers as well as more than three thousand M-16 rifles. The operation was overseen by Cuban intelligence, and also involved East Germany and the Soviet Union.
After the restoration of democratic rule in Chile in 1991, the FPMR split into two parts: one which returned to seeking change through the political system, and another which continued to advocate armed struggle. The latter faction continued to commit kidnappings and robberies, including the murder of the Independent Democrat Union senator Jaime Guzmán on April 1, 1991. The suspects escaped to Cuba.
 | This Chile-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This military-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |