Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front
| Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez |
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|---|---|
Flag of the Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front
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| Leader(s) |
Sergio Apablaza Raúl Pellegrin 
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| Dates of operation | 1983–1999 |
| Motives | To overthrow the Augusto Pinochet military regime. |
| Active region(s) | Chile |
| Ideology |
Marxism–Leninism Left-wing nationalism |
| Notable attacks | Operation 20th century (1986 Augusto Pinochet assassination attempt), Operation Prince, Operation Fly of Justice |
| Size | 1,500 |
The Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front (Spanish: Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez) (FPMR), also known as El Frente Patriótico, or simply El Frente, was a Marxist-Leninist nationalist paramilitary organization in Chile, founded in 1983.
At its beginnings, it was the Communist Party of Chile's armed wing, formed in order to violently overthrow Augusto Pinochet. It was considered a terrorist organization by the Department of State of the United States and the United Kingdom Secret Intelligence Service.
At its height, the FPMR was estimated to be made up of 1,000 to 1,500 members.
On September 7, 1986, after months of planning, the FPMR attacked President Augusto Pinochet's car in an assassination attempt. Five of Pinochet's bodyguards were killed and eleven wounded. Pinochet, however, only suffered minor injuries. He was riding the car with his then 10-year-old grandson who survived unharmed. Also in 1986, Chilean security forces caught the FPMR smuggling an 80-ton shipment of weapons in Carrizal Bajo, including C-4 plastic explosives, RPG-7 and M72 LAW rocket launchers as well as more than three thousand M-16 rifles.
The failure of Pinochet's attempted assassination led to an internal crisis in the FPMR, leading to splits and to the complete autonomy of the group towards the PCCh.
On 8 April 1986, FPMR guerrillas kidnapped and held the "carabinero corporal" Germán Obando captive for 48 hours. After a nationwide coverage of the incident press reported mass condemnation as including political groups normally sympathetic to the cause of the FPMR.
On 13 April 1987, the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) simultaneously assaulted the offices of Associated Press (AP) and eight radio stations in Santiago, killing an off-duty security guard.
In the period 1988–1994, the FPMR conducted 15 attacks against LDS Chapels and temples.
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Wikipedia