Latest news with #AmyBarela
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican Party of New Mexico leaders speak out following fire that damaged headquarters
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Leaders of the Republican Party of New Mexico are speaking out following what they call an 'intentional' fire that caused severe damage to their headquarters. Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded to the building near Jefferson St. and San Francisco Rd. just before 6 a.m. Sunday morning. VIDEO: Albuquerque Tesla Cybertruck vandalized Crews said the flames mostly caused damage to the front entrance, along with smoke damage throughout the building. RPNM said they believe the cause was arson. 'The entry has been destroyed, reduced to ashes with hateful graffiti defacing the walls. This was not just an attack on our building, it was an attack on our values, on our free speech, and the right to every new Mexican who wants to participate in the democratic process without fear,' said Chairwoman Amy Barela, Republican Party of New Mexico. Albuquerque Fire Rescue is still investigating the cause of the fire. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM GOP renews call for special session on crime after alleged arson at Albuquerque headquarters
Amy Barela, chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico, gestures toward the charred front entrance of the party's Albuquerque headquarters on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Republicans from across New Mexico gathered in front of charred front doors to the party's Albuquerque headquarters Monday, saying a weekend fire they believe is arson is more proof that Democrats in charge of the Legislature failed to adequately address crime during a 60-day legislative session that ended a little over a week ago. State Republican leaders say the fire early Sunday morning was politically motivated arson. According to Albuquerque Fire Rescue, the blaze occurred a little before 6 a.m., causing damage to the front entryway and smoke damage throughout the building. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished within five minutes, according to AFR. The cause is being investigated, AFR and Republican leaders said. The FBI and ATF are investigating, according to AFR and Republican officials. As of Monday afternoon, no search warrants had been filed, according to a Source New Mexico review of federal court records. Along with the fire damage, someone stenciled 'ICE=KKK' in red spray paint on the side of the building. The stencil was partially covered with plywood before the news conference Monday afternoon. The news conference came after a day of sniping between Democrats and Republicans over who is to blame for the deterioration of political discourse here. Republicans cited a Santa Fe town hall meeting Saturday when U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) called on attendees to 'agitate' as part of a strategy to combat President Donald Trump's agenda, along with 'legislate' and 'litigate.' The party also circulated a fundraising appeal with the headline 'They tried to silence us.' The Democratic Party of New Mexico condemned the alleged arson but said Republicans were 'maliciously and falsely' claiming the congresswoman's call for political organizing amounted to incitement of violence. 'Nothing could be further from the truth,' Chair Jessica Velasquez said in a statement. The New Mexico Democrats statement also cited the recent conviction of Solomon Peña, a failed Republican state House candidate, for shooting up the homes of prominent Democratic lawmakers. (No one was injured.) Asked Monday afternoon whether the Republican party overreacted by blaming Leger Fernandez's town hall meeting, Sen. Bill Sharer (R-Farmington), the New Mexico Senate minority leader, said he wished to take the temperature down. 'What I'm looking for right now is to tone down the rhetoric by everybody. Calm down,' he said. 'Because somebody's going to get hurt.' Multiple speakers sought to link the alleged arson to what they say is out-of-control crime, adding it to a list with the March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces, plus murders and carjackings. 'This attack is a symptom of something far larger,' said Amy Barela, chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico. 'A growing wave of emboldened, unchecked crime across our state.' A report last summer by the Legislative Finance Committee found that violent crime in Bernalillo County has plateaued since 2017. Right after the final gavel of the 60-day legislative session, Republican leaders called on Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to call lawmakers back for a special session focused on increasing criminal penalties. Lujan Grisham has said she shares Republicans' concerns and will likely call such a session. She hasn't yet said when it would occur.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico Republican Party headquarters targeted in suspected arson attack, officials say
The New Mexico Republican Party headquarters was targeted in a suspected arson attack on Sunday, according to party officials. At approximately 5:56 a.m. on Sunday, Albuquerque Fire Rescue was dispatched to the headquarters for a reported structure fire, officials said. The flames were brought under control within five minutes of their arrival and there were no reported injuries, fire rescue said. The structure suffered "damage to the front entryway and smoke damage throughout the building," fire rescue said. The words "ICE=KKK" were also spray-painted on the building, officials said. The Republican Party of New Mexico said the incident was a "deliberate act of arson." "This horrific attack, fueled by hatred and intolerance, is a direct assault on our values, freedoms and our right to political expression," party officials said in a statement on Sunday. MORE: Man arrested in Las Vegas Tesla arson facing federal charges Party officials said this is not an isolated incident, claiming it is part of a "disturbing pattern of politically motivated violence that has plagued our country -- fueled in part by the silence and implicit encouragement from progressive leaders who refuse to condemn these acts." Republican Party of New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela said those who "resort to violence to undermine our state and nation must be held accountable." "The Republican Party of New Mexico will not be silenced," Barela said in a statement. "We will emerge from this stronger, more united and more determined to fight for the people of New Mexico and the future of our country." The Democratic Party of New Mexico said on X that it also "condemns the vandalism of the @NewMexicoGOP office as strongly as possible." "We firmly maintain that this sort of act has absolutely no place in our Democracy, & that peaceful discourse & organization are the only ways to approach political differences in our country," the party wrote. "We hope whoever is responsible is found and held accountable." New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez added, "Political violence is unacceptable, including the arson attack on New Mexico's GOP headquarters. The perpetrators must be held accountable. Every American should be able to freely and safely participate in our democracy." MORE: Documents appear to show how Trump admin identifies Venezuelan gang members: ACLU Leticia Muñoz, the executive director of the State Republican Party of New Mexico, said she is "thankful to first responders and law enforcement who saved our office from burning to the ground." "My resolve is even stronger today to continue to 'FIGHT' for our state," Muñoz said in a statement. Albuquerque Fire Rescue is working with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate this incident, officials said. New Mexico Republican Party headquarters targeted in suspected arson attack, officials say originally appeared on
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
New Mexico Republicans appear to blame Democrats following vandalism and arson attack on HQ
New Mexico's Senate Republicans appear to have laid the blame for a weekend arson and vandalism attack on their headquarters in Albuquerque at the feet of the Democrats. 'In the wake of a prominent Democrat official calling for her supporters to be 'agitators,' it appears some unhinged supporters took the message to heart and acted out in a violent manner. Democrats must turn down the rhetoric and restore civility to our political process,' a press release said. The headquarters were targeted by vandals who spraypainted 'ICE = KKK' at the entrance and also set a fire inside. The Republican Party said it is working closely with federal investigators, local law enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Crews arrived at the building just before 6.00 am and contained Sunday's fire within five minutes, Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) said. The GOP claimed the fire was caused by arson. AFR is still investigating the incident. No injuries have yet been reported. 'It's very early in the investigation. I know they are reviewing our camera footage and neighboring camera footage as well,' said party chairwoman Amy Barela. Political leaders across the state shared statements on the alleged arson online. 'Political violence is unacceptable, including the arson attack on New Mexico's GOP (Grand Old Party) headquarters. The perpetrators must be held accountable. Every American should be able to freely and safely participate in our democracy,' Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez posted to X, formerly Twitter. 'At my town hall yesterday, I spoke about love in action – about the importance of showing respect and listening. That is what we need right now.' Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said: 'We do not yet know the full details of the fire early this morning at the Republican Party's headquarters, but let me be clear, arson is a violent and cowardly act that has no place in our city... Politically motivated crimes of any kind are unacceptable.' District councilors also condemned acts of political violence and said they were grateful no one was harmed.
Reuters
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
New Mexico Republican Party HQ set on fire, graffitied 'ICE=KKK'
March 30 (Reuters) - The headquarters of the Republican Party of New Mexico was set on fire on Sunday and "ICE=KKK" spray painted on the building in what the party called "a deliberate act of arson." Fire officials in Albuquerque, the largest city in Democratic-controlled New Mexico, were called to the blaze around 6 am and put it out in five minutes. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. The single-story structure suffered damage to its entryway and smoke damage throughout, Albuquerque Fire Rescue said on social media. The FBI said it was leading the investigation to find the "culprit(s) responsible," a spokeswoman for the agency said in a statement. The fire comes after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said, opens new tab it arrested 48 illegal immigrants, 20 of them with criminal convictions, during raids in Albuquerque, state capital Santa Fe and Roswell, New Mexico earlier this month. The graffiti appeared to equate the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan hate group to ICE, the agency President Donald Trump has tasked to deport millions of illegal immigrants. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Our state leaders must reinforce through decisive action that these cowardly attacks will not be tolerated," Republican Party of New Mexico Chairwoman Amy Barela said in a statement, opens new tab. The Democratic Party of New Mexico said it condemned the "vandalism" of the Republican Party headquarters. "We firmly maintain that this sort of act has absolutely no place in our democracy," the state Democratic Party said on social media. "We hope whoever is responsible is found and held accountable." The fire follows the conviction this month of a failed Republican candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives who carried out drive-by shootings on the Albuquerque homes of Democratic officials during 2022 and 2023.
