Radio Mambi (WAQI), the most listened to Spanish AM radio station in South Florida, is constantly praising Carriles and letting callers believe that he is an innocent man. On January 12 (2007), Armando Perez-Roura invited Ernesto Diaz Rodriguez, secretary general of Alpha 66, to speak out against the recent indictments against Luis Posada Carriles. Rodriguez spoke of Carriles as "a man whose only proven crime has been loyalty to the United States and to have fought with courage and tenacity to free Cuba, his enslaved homeland."[*]This is coming from a man who, according to the Cuban government, was part of an exile mercenary group and was imprisoned in Cuba for 22 years on charges of participating in terrorism operations in 1968. Yet, after all that time, he still speaks of "el sagrado compromiso" (the sacred pledge) "to fight (or struggle) to free Cuba without counting on anybody, nor asking permission from anyone, whatever the price may be."
This is the prevailing rhetoric supporting Carriles and of those who call for his release in Miami.
In reality, there is plenty of evidence against Carriles for his complicity in the Cubana airline bombing of 1976. He even has his own section of declassified documents at the National Security Archive which shows that he was a primary suspect by US intelligence before and after the bombing.
You can also read about how he escaped from prison with the help of Cuban American exiles in Miami. Carriles was interviewed extensively by reporter Ann Louise Bardach on several occasions, and she writes that "Posada acknowledged that he might well still be in jail if friends, such as Jorge Mas Canosa, had not come to his rescue."
He may be a freedom fighter to some in Miami, but he's definitely NOT INNOCENT.
[*]Ernesto Diaz Rodriguez - Radio Mambi: "En Caliente" Morning Show (January 12, 2007)
2 comments:
Glad to see that you have finally come out of the closet as a full-fledged Castro apologist. Apparently, the "Bolivarians" were not enough for you any more. Why worship at one remove when you are yourself more competent to defend Castro than the sophomoric "Bolivarians"?
How many years was Fidel Castro jailed for the terrorist attack on the Moncada barracks? Less than 2 years. How long did Díaz Rodríguez spend in Castro's jails for allegedly "participating in terrorist operations in 1968?" 22 years.
I know its an arcane principle for you Castroites, but a man is innocent until proven guilty. Posada Carriles has never been found guilty in any court, civil or military, of complicity in the 1976 bombing. In fact, he been repeatedly found innocent.
Fidel Castro was responsible for the first airplane hijacking in history in 1958, which resulted in the death of all the passengers when the plane crashed into Nipe Bay. This crime does not have to be proven because the July 26 Movement boasted of responsibility for it.
When are you going to propose that Fidel Castro and the others be tried for this crime? There is no statute of limitations on murder.
And, yes, Rick is right for once: scrap the footnotes unless it's so desperately important to you to suggest that you are an FIU academic.
Tellechea,
You make good points (once we get past the ad hominems). We should consider Carriles as "innocent until proven guilty", BUT within the confines of the charges against him. Nevertheless, he should be brought to trial, where all the facts can be weighed (especially the facts from the National Security Archives). That's basic due process for the families that lost relatives in the bombing.
If he's found innocent OF THE CHARGES then let it be. That's justice served. But, since '76, he's been a suspect by the US for the bombing, latin america stands behind Venezuela for his extradition and ALL the evidence should be brought to trial.
Concerning Fidel Castro and his crimes, we can agree. There are serious allegations that can be made and plenty of evidence to present. That's why the UN created a World Court. That's why we now have an International Criminal Court[ICC]. So, people (refugees, immigrants, NGO's) who have been victimized can have a place to bring up charges on international leaders and others.
The saying "innocent until proven guilty" is not arcane, but follows the application to specific charges, not innocence in general terms.
I was using the term just as it has been used by Armando Perez Roura, Ernesto Diaz Rodriguez, and others.
Also, on the specific charges, Carriles has NOT BEEN FOUND INNOCENT because there has been NO TRIAL.
And another thing, you once said that Carriles was "thrice found innocent". Show me where that information is.
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