Latin American Countries Condemn the Liberation of Posada Carriles
Mérida, May 10, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuela, along with other Latin American countries, condemned today the United States court decision to allow the international terrorist Luis Posada Carriles walk free. Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, as well as several Democrats in the U.S. Congress demanded that Posada be tried or extradited on charges of terrorism.
Posada was freed from a U.S. jail in El Paso, Texas two days ago after a federal judge dropped all charges against him.
According to news reports, the former CIA agent Posada Carriles is returning to his home in Miami after being released from jail this Tuesday. Judge Kathleen Cardone dropped the charges of immigration fraud on the Cuban-Venezuelan after excluding the main evidence in the case.
The decision was condemned nationally and internationally as a double standard on the part of Washington for preventing the trial of one of the most recognized international terrorists in the hemisphere. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez responded to the liberation of Posada Carriles yesterday by pointing out the ambiguity of what a terrorist is for the government of George W. Bush.
"He [Posada Carriles] is a murderer, a terrorist, and a torturer, and now he enjoys total freedom in the United States. That is the government that says it fights against terrorism in the world and it’s a lie," said Chavez.
Chavez went on to say today that the decision further discredits the U.S. government in the eyes of world opinion.
"As long as the North American empire keeps making decisions like this one, the more they will keep getting weaker in the eyes of the world," he said.
Venezuela and Cuba have both asked for Posada Carriles to be extradited in order to try him for the bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976 as well as a series of other murders and crimes in Venezuela and Cuba. Posada, now 79 years old, collaborated with the CIA in Venezuela when the Cuban airliner went down killing 73 people.
Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Relations Nicolas Maduro also responded to the case today, assuring that Venezuela would once again demand the extradition of Posada before the United Nations and other international bodies. Maduro made the statement at a joint press conference with Cuban Minister Felipe Pérez Roque who also condemned the case as a clear example of the double standards and hypocrisy of the U.S. government.
The Nicaraguan government also released a statement today condemning the decision to release Posada and asking that he be extradited to Nicaragua to be tried for crimes in that country. Labeling him a "confessed terrorist," the statement accuses Posada of committing terrorism in the country during the 1980’s when he collaborated with the Contras waging war against the Nicaraguan government at that time.
Posada Carriles still has a deportation order against him for his illegal entry into the United States and he is supposed to leave the country as soon as he is accepted for deportation by a country other than Venezuela or Cuba. Until now, only Nicaragua, a political ally to Cuba and Venezuela has opened its doors to the possibility.
Yesterday, however, several Democrats in the US Congress made a request to President George W. Bush that he take measures to capture Posada under charges of terrorism. Bill Delahunt, Democrat from Massachusetts, called Posada "one of the most notorious murderers in the Western Hemishpere," and stated that if the United States doesn’t take all legal measures to detain him and bring him to justice they would send the message that Bush believes in the old saying that "a terrorist to some is a freedom fighter to others."
Democrat José Serrano also stated that Posada must be brought to justice, pointing out that before the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the bombing of the Cuban airliner in 1976 was the worst ever terrorist attack in the Western Hemisphere.
"Not only have we ignored the request by the Venezuelan government that [Posada] be brought to justice for his actions, but we have also decided to not try him for terrorism according to international law," he concluded.
After escaping from a Venezuelan jail where he was awaiting trial for the bombing, Posada fled the country and continued working for the CIA in Nicaragua and other countries. Cuba also wants to try Carriles for the 1997 bombing of hotels in Havana, but Washington has refused to extradite him to Cuba or Venezuela claiming that he would be tortured.