JUVENTUD REBELDE
In Miami, Posada Carriles Again Inciting Violence
“The White House should take notes on the matter and extradite the
terrorist,” affirmed lawyer José Pertierra.
By: Arsenio Martínez
2008-05-07 | 11:43:13 EST
http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/international/2008-05-07/in-miami-posada-carriles-again-inciting-violence/
CARACAS. - In the last few weeks, public activities have increased in Miami
on the part of terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, as his legal process
continues to drag on in the United States, where he has been protected since
he illegally entered that country in 2005.
Cubadebate reporters spoke with lawyer José Pertierra, the legal
representative of Venezuela, which is demanding the terrorist’s extradition.
Posada Carriles was charged by Venezuelan authorities in the death of 73
passengers of a Cuban airplane that in 1976 was bombed off the coast of
Barbados.
- Last Friday, May 2, several Miami organizations —such as Cuban
Municipalities in Exile, Cuban Unity, the Patriotic Cuban Junta, and the
Council for the Freedom of Cuba— held a dinner in homage to terrorist Luis
Posada Carriles in the lounge of social club called the “Big Five.” Was that
homage legal?
- This Thursday, May 8, will mark one year since the decision to release
Posada Carriles was made. When his client was freed, lawyer Arturo Hernández
said that Posada would not make public statements until “his pending matters
had been resolved.” Those matters include 73 charges of first degree murder
in relation to the blowing up of an Cuban passenger airplane in 1976, a
pending case of extradition to Venezuela, an investigation into his
confession to the New York Times about being the mastermind behind a
campaign of bombings of several hotels and restaurants in Havana in 1997,
evidence that points to his responsibility in the murder of tourist Fabio di
Celmo in Havana in 1997, and a pending case of immigration fraud in the
United States.
“Everything seems to indicate that the advice that his lawyer gave him —to
stay quiet— is still wise. The key to Posada’s jail cell continues to be
held by the US attorney general’s office, and at any moment they can put him
back in prison. The only thing that the office lacks to return Posada to
jail is political will. Statements by Posada encouraging his followers to
commit acts of violence should prompt the attorney general to reconsider its
decision to free the terrorist.”
- What is the Big Five Club in Miami?
- It is a members-only club in Miami that was founded in 1968. It has an
annual revenue of $1.7 million. Its name comes from the famous “Big Five
Club” of pre-revolutionary Havana, which included the Havana Yacht Club, the
Miramar Yacht Club, The Vedado Tennis Club, the Biltmore Yacht Club and the
Spanish Casino. Neither blacks nor Jews could join these five private clubs.
They only had wealthy white members of the Havana oligarchy.
“The Big Five of Miami tries to recreate the time Cuba under Batista,
although within the confines of US law. In this country, it is illegal to
discriminate against blacks and Jews. I’m sure that not all of the members
of the Big Five Club of Miami support the terrorist philosophy of Posada
Carriles. However, I have not heard any official complaint from the
membership regarding the fact that their private club was made available for
that terrorist’s pronouncements.”
- The media reported that Posada made statements during his homage in the
Big Five Club of Miami on May 2. He asked God to help him sharpen his
machete, and he cited words of Maceo saying, “freedom is conquered with the
edge of the machete.” How do you interpret this statement?
- Posada does not have the morality to pronounce General Antonio Maceo’s
name. That eminent leader of Cuban independence fought against the Spanish
empire for the freedom of Cuba, while Posada fights in the name of the
American empire for the slavery of Cuba. Maceo fought with his machete in
the battlefield of honor against Spanish soldiers, while Posada shamefully
plants bombs against defenseless civilians. Maceo never lent his services to
a foreign government, while Posada’s own lawyer admits in documents
presented before US courts that “all that Posada has done” has been on
behalf of Washington.
“Since the time of Thomas Jefferson, the United States has wanted to take
possession of Cuba, and Posada Carriles is a faithful soldier of Washington.
He was recruited, trained, financed, and used by the CIA to overthrow the
government of Cuba on behalf of Washington.
“Maceo always fought against those who wanted to appropriate Cuba. He said,
“Cuba has many children who have relinquished their families and well-being
to conserve honor and the homeland. We will with her perish before being
dominated again; we want independence and freedom.” To equate the struggle
of Maceo to liberate Cuba from Spain with the terrorism used by Posada
Carriles to surrender it to United States is to equate dignity with shame.
“It is alarming to listen to Posada Carriles —an admitted terrorist— last
week in Miami inciting his followers to violence. The US’ own Department of
Homeland Security told Posada in a 2006 letter that he has a “history of
being involved in criminal activity, associating with individuals involved
in criminal acts, and participating in violent acts with no concern for the
public’s safety.”
“I read that some of those present at the homage to Posada consider him a
patriot. However, a patriot doesn’t murder it’s sisters and brothers in cold
blood. They don't use a cowardly ideology to justify torture. The homeland
is made up of people who breath the homeland. Posada is not a patriot; he is
a terrorist. The White House should take note in the matter, revoke his
freedom and extradite him to Venezuela.”
- At what stage the extradition application presented by Venezuela?
- Venezuela requested the extradition of Posada on June 15, 2005. We also
requested his detention for purposes of extradition. The application remains
pending with the United States government, but ignored. The government’s
excuse for not acting on the extradition application is that the Department
of Justice is processing him for a penal crime, and that has priority.
“However, the American justice system is simply processing him for being a
liar, while Venezuela wants to try him on 73 counts of murder in connection
with the blowing up of the Cuban Aviation airplane. We should not forget
that on board that airplane was a 9 year-old Guyanese girl named Sabrina; a
Cuban athlete, Nancy Uranga, who was pregnant, and 71 other people – many of
them young members of the Cuban fencing team. To simply try Posada as a
liar, instead of extraditing him for those 73 murders, is to protect him,
and even President Bush himself has said in several occasions that “one who
protects a terrorist is a terrorist.”
- Finally, what is Venezuela’s next step in this case?
- Venezuela continues insisting on the extradition of Posada Carriles, and
we will continue taking our petition to all international forums, such as
the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and others. The
United States is violating serious treaties and international norms by
ignoring the extradition application. There is much discontent in United
States for the selective form in which the country is conducting its war
against terrorism. It tortures some prisoners that it accuses of terrorism,
and protects others, such as Posada Carriles, who have been convicted of
terrorism. We are requesting that the American people demand Washington
respect their own constitution and international treaties, so that the
government will finally extradite this terrorist to Caracas.
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