Highlights
– The EPR has evolved and remains a threat to the stability of Mexico
– The rebel group will continue to perpetrate attacks against infrastructure and economic targets
– The EPR may have connections to drug cartels
A Historical Insurgency
The Popular Revolutionary Army, better known by its Spanish acronym EPR (Ejercito Popular Revolucionario), was officially founded in 1995 in Mexico by a number of socialist groups that merged with the intent of supporting an armed struggle against the country’s government.
In 1996, the group gained fame with a number of coordinated attacks against police, military, and government targets throughout six Mexican states. The EPR remained active through 1997 mostly in the state of Oaxaca, but by 1998, due to efforts by the military, federal police, and local authorities, the rebel group had splintered into numerous smaller groups, and remained dormant until 2007.
In 2000, then Mexican President Vicente Fox offered the EPR amnesty as part of a plan to calm the insurgency in southern Mexico. More than 135 members were released from federal prisons at this time. Over the following six years, the EPR (or splinter groups of the EPR), continued to issue public statements mainly through their website, which included condemnations of the 9/11 attacks, the US-led war in Iraq, and most recently, Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s pro-US, pro-globalization ideology.
There were no documented attacks during this time however, and only allegations that the group participated in a number of kidnappings across the nation.
The New EPR
In 2007, the EPR reemerged as a threat committing at least three separate attacks on critical infrastructure throughout Mexico. Two attacks involved the bombing of Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) pipelines and the third entailed the bombing of storefronts and banks in Oaxaca. The most recent attacks differed in numerous ways from the 1996 attacks showing both an enhancement in planning and sophistication and also in methodology and solidarity.
The sophistication of the attacks increased considerably as demonstrated by the bombings of the PEMEX pipelines. The EPR displayed an extensive knowledge of Mexico’s energy infrastructure and, though splintered, an operating maturity not previously seen within Mexico’s limited leftist rebel movements. The rebels knew which pipelines to strike and exactly where along the lines to hit, (the shutoff valves), and used sophisticated plastic explosives to perpetrate the attacks. Additionally the attacks occurred in more northern states than originally attributed to the EPR’s operational landscape. In all aspects, the planning and coordination reached a new level.
Additionally, the 2007 attacks, unlike those previous, took no Mexican lives and were even accompanied by EPR public statements affirming that no EPR attack would ever purposely target innocent citizens. In fact, the most recent statement from the EPR asserted that it would even call authorities minutes before its next attack to allow for evacuations if necessary. This change in tactic is indicative of a change in methodology and solidarity. It seems that the EPR will no longer seek to terrorize the citizenry or murder police officers to get its point across. Instead, it will strike at infrastructure and economic targets to further its cause.
The Potential Drug Connection
The EPR’s revival, in the midst of President Calderon’s war on the powerful drug cartels, may or may not be a coincidence. The rebel group does need funding and the cartels have the money. Additionally, it is in the cartels’ interest to aid the EPR in attacking the government. It diverts troops, police and other resources to the EPR that would normally be fighting the drug gangs. A connection to the drug gangs could also explain the increased sophistication in weaponry and tactics used by the EPR. The large, wealthy cartels are more likely to have access to materials and weapons than is the splintered rebel group. This is not to say that the EPR works specifically for or is accountable to the drug cartels, but there is evidence that suggests a sort of marriage of convenience.
A Look Forward
Today’s EPR likely consists of no more than 150 members but will certainly continue to impact the stability of Mexico in the future. The EPR will continue to wage a leftist rebellion against the Mexican government largely through propaganda, mostly disseminated via the Internet, but also through the attacking of infrastructure and economic interests.
