Friends of the Earth
Amigxs de la Tierra
Dates of operationOctober 31, 2011 (2011-10-31)–March 21, 2014 (2014-03-21)
Country Argentina
MotivesTo combat the State and Neoliberalism
HeadquartersBuenos Aires
IdeologyEgoist anarchism
Individualist anarchism
Insurrectionary anarchism
Anarchism without adjectives
Anti-imperialism
Anti-capitalism
Illegalism
Internationalism
Political positionPost-left
Notable attacksArson against vehicles and private property
StatusDissolved
Part of Informal Anarchist Federation
Allies
Opponents Government of Argentina

The Friends of the Earth (Spanish: Amigxs de la Tierra/FAI) was an urban guerrilla group from Buenos Aires, known for perpetrating arson attacks against public and private vehicles (popularly known as "sunroofs").[1][2]

Background

During the years 2010 to 2013, anarchist groups claimed the largest campaign of political violence in recent Argentine history, without deaths or injuries, with attacks that reached police patrols, government and bank buildings and private property. The authorities attributed several small-scale attacks against financial institutions and offices of prominent national and foreign companies to Chilean anarchist groups.[2][3][4] The modus operandi of the "sunroofs" usually attacked at night or at dawn, or if the area was quiet, they even did it at noon, always quickly and cautiously leaving small incendiary explosives or spraying gasoline on the tires.[5]

Attacks

The group began to carry out arson attacks in the towns of Villa del Parque and Caballito in late 2011 and early 2012, posting their statements on anarchist websites.[6][7][8][9] As the year progressed, the number of cars burned down accumulated, the main targets being police vehicles, public transport and high-end luxury cars, while the most affected towns continued to be Caballito, Palermo, Villa Devoto and Villa del Parque, raising the alarm of the authorities.[10][11][12][13] One of the group's most media-focused attacks was on August 15, 2012 when the group carried out an explosive-incendiary attack with two gasoline-based devices at the Fiat car dealership, in the town of Villa Urquiza. Days later, the group claimed responsibility for the attack.[14][15][16] They also attacked vehicles in Recoleta and near the Italian embassy in Buenos Aires, as well as multiple attacks claimed in October.[17][18][19][20] During 2012 the group and several anarchists carried out dozens of arson attacks in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, accounting for around 200 damaged vehicles in that year alone, intensifying their actions in the last days of the year.[2][21][22]

In January 2013 the group claimed responsibility for an improvised explosive in front of the facilities of the National Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service and more than 25 attacks against luxury and high-end vehicles in the neighborhoods of Belgrano, Nuñez, Recoleta, Palermo, Villa Urquiza, Caballito and Villa Devoto, receiving attention from the authorities and the press.[23][24][25] In addition, the group continued attacking during the months of February to May in the aforementioned neighborhoods and their surroundings.[26][27][28][29]

After several attacks on cars, on September 18, 2013 the group claimed an explosive attack on the Gendarmerie mutual building in the Balvanera neighborhood, slightly wounding two gendarmes who were on guard.[30][31][32] The attack received media coverage, being attended by personnel from the 5th Police Station and Firefighters of the Federal Police and the Federal Court No. 2 intervened in the case.[33][34] After this the group continued carrying out arson attacks on police or cannon vehicles around the metropolitan area.[35]

On January 9, 2014, the group claimed responsibility for an arson attack against a Fiat dealership, this in the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza. The attack left more than 13 vehicles damaged, in addition to claiming more burning vehicles in Buenos Aires neighborhoods.[36][37][38] The group's last statement was released on March 21, 2014, claiming responsibility for the burning of Federal Police vehicles and other vehicles in the area.[39]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Friends of the Earth (FAI)". Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Fahsbender, Federico (15 November 2018). "Quemacoches y bombas al Estado: la historia nunca contada de los atentados anarquistas en la Argentina del siglo XXI". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  3. ↑ Friends of the Earth (25 April 2012). "Incendiados autos de lujo en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Bacchiega, Julia (2016). "¿Terrorismo o actos de venganza? Atentados anarquistas en Argentina en las primeras décadas del siglo XX" (PDF). Revista Relaciones Internales (in Spanish). National University of La Plata. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Quemacoches: así actúa la banda que ataca por placer los autos de la Ciudad". Infobae (in Spanish). 14 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Friends of the Earth (31 October 2011). "Ataques incendiarios contra tres vehiculos de lujo en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Friends of the Earth (1 February 2012). "Reivindicación por ataques incendiarios a decenas de vehículos de lujo durante el año pasado y enero de este año en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "Temor en Buenos Aires por los "quemacoches"". Actualidad Chaco (in Spanish). 15 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  9. ↑ Moreno, Federico; Luciani, Adrián (4 September 2016). "¿Qué hay detrás de los quemacoches locales?". La Nueva (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  10. ↑ Friends of the Earth (6 February 2012). "Ataque incendiario a coche patrullero de la Policía Federal Argentina frente a la comisaría n°23 en Buenos Aires". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "Alarma por ataques vandálicos contra vehículos de alta gama". Infobae (in Spanish). 9 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  12. ↑ "En 30 días, bandas juveniles queman 49 autos en la Ciudad". Diario Popular (in Spanish). 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  13. ↑ Friends of the Earth (25 July 2012). "Quemados un cajero automático del Banco Nación, un coche de la empresa Prosegur y cinco autos de alta gama en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "concesionaria de San Nicolás: no hubo heridos". Clarín (in Spanish). 15 August 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "Explosión en una concesionaria de autos de Froilán González". Infobae (in Spanish). 15 August 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  16. ↑ Friends of the Earth (21 August 2012). "Ataque incendiario contra concesionaria de automóviles Fiat en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  17. ↑ "Incansables: quemacoches atacaron en el norte de la ciudad". Radio de Noticias (in Spanish). 13 March 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  18. ↑ Friends of the Earth (6 September 2012). "Reivindicación de ataques incendiarios a autos de lujo y a camioneta de la Embajada de Italia en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  19. ↑ "Los "quemacoches" volvieron a atacar en la Ciudad". Minuto1 (in Spanish). 23 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  20. ↑ Friends of the Earth (6 October 2012). "Reivindicación de ataque incendiario contra patrulla de la PFA y camioneta de empresa de seguridad en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  21. ↑ "Incendiaron tres autos en Constitución y San Cristóbal y ya van 49 en el año". Aval-Productores y asesores de seguros (in Spanish). 26 August 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  22. ↑ Friends of the Earth. "Reivindicación de ataques incendiarios a centenar de autos, un móvil de la policía y un concesionario Volkswagen en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  23. ↑ "Volvieron los quemacoches: advierten que en un año ya incineraron 120 vehículos". Diario 26 (in Spanish). 22 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  24. ↑ "Quemacoches ya atacaron más de 120 autos en los últimos 12 meses". Infobae (in Spanish). 22 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  25. ↑ Friends of the Earth (3 January 2013). "Reivindicación del ataque con bomba contra Dirección Nacional del Servicio Penitenciario Federal, quema de 3 coches de la policía y vehículos de lujo en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  26. ↑ "Los quemacoches volvieron a atacar". Sitio Andino (in Spanish). 7 September 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  27. ↑ Friends of the Earth (25 March 2013). "Reivindicacion de ataques incendiarios contra un centenar de coches de alta gama durante los primeros meses del 2013 en Buenos Aires, Argentina". La Haine-Liberación Total (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  28. ↑ Friends of the Earth (27 May 2013). "Buenos Aires: Siguiendo con la ofensiva caótica". Contrainfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  29. ↑ "Otro ataque de quemacoches: se produjeron 52 durante 2013". Diario 26 (in Spanish). 7 September 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  30. ↑ "Explosión en una mutual de Gendarmería: dos efectivos heridos". Infobae (in Spanish). 19 September 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  31. ↑ Friends of the Earth (23 September 2013). "Buenos Aires: Bombita contra edificio de gendarmería". Contrainfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  32. ↑ "Detonó explosivo en mutual de Gendarmería en Buenos Aires". Diario Río Negro (in Spanish). 19 September 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  33. ↑ "Detono un explosivo de faricación casera en frente de mutual de Gendarmería". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 19 September 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  34. ↑ "Dos gendarmes resultaron heridos en la madrugada del jueves (18 sep 2013) al estallar una bomba casera en un edificio mutual de la Institución". Tiempo Militar (in Spanish). 19 September 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  35. ↑ Friends of the Earth (30 November 2013). "Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ataque incendiario a dos patrulleros de la Policia Federal Argentina". Contrainfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  36. ↑ Friends of the Earth (11 January 2014). "Buenos Aires: Ataque incendiario contra concesionaria Fiat y otros autos". Contrainfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  37. ↑ "Incendio en concesionaria arruinó al menos 13 autos". Ámbito (in Spanish). 9 January 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  38. ↑ "Villa Urquiza:Se incendió una concesionaria: 13 autos afectados por las llamas". Clarín (in Spanish). 9 January 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  39. ↑ Friends of the Earth (21 March 2014). "Buenos Aires: Lxs Amigxs de la Tierra/FAI vuelven a iluminar la ciudad". Contrainfo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2020.
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