National Committee to Free the Cuban Five

A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Press Conference

Press Conference Demanding
Extradition of Terrorist Luis Posada Carriles

Listen to the press conference here (mp3) or click the arrow below

The press conference, sponsored by the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition in conjunction with the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, will announce a national mobilization to pressure the U.S. government to either extradite or prosecute Luis Posada Carriles for the bombing of a Cuban civilian airliner, the placement of bombs at tourist hotels in Cuba in the 1990s, and other terrorist acts. The conference will also call for the immediate freedom of the Cuban Five.

Speakers:
Wayne Smith, former chief, U.S. Interest Section, Havana; senior fellow, Ctr. for Int'l Policy
José Pertierra, U.S. attorney representing Venezuela in extradition case
Gloria La Riva, Coordinator, National Committee to Free the Cuban Five
Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, co-founder, Partnership for Civil Justice
Brian Becker, National Coordinator, ANSWER Coalition
Also, a statement will be read from Livio di Celmo, whose brother Fabio was killed by a bomb produced by Posada.

On May 2, Posada spoke at a Miami fundraising dinner, where he publicly called for the "sharpening of the machete in the difficult times ahead." Wayne Smith said, "It is clear that he has not renounced his terrorist past and indeed is inciting more attacks."

Brian Becker, coordinator of the International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, will announce a massive national letter-writing campaign to U.S. Congress. In 2005, the campaign garnered almost 50,000 letters to Congress. A.N.S.W.E.R. also held several protests at the immigration court in El Paso, TX, 2005-07. Posada is a fugitive from justice, having escaped from the Venezuelan prison where he was facing trial for the murder of 73 people on board Cubana airlines flight #455 on Oct. 6, 1976.

Two documentaries will be distributed to members of the press: "Posada: Terrorism Made in the USA," and "Mission Against Terror" about the Cuban Five.

The Center for International Policy invites you to:

Escaping Justice:
The Story of an Exile Terrorist

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The University of California, Washington Center
1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.

The case of Luis Posada Carriles calls attention anew to the disturbing pattern of tolerance of exile terrorists and terrorist acts in Miami. Posada is one of those responsible for the downing of the Cubana Flight 455 in 1976 which resulted in the loss of 73 innocent lives, and for directing the bombing of tourist hotels in Havana. Today, he not only walks the streets of Miami a free man, but is honored by his hard-line exile friends at gala dinners and parties, attended by all three Cuban-American congressional representatives from South Florida. In August of 2004, Posada was released from prison in Panama where he was being held on charges stemming from his intention to assassinate Fidel Castro during the latter's visit there. Posada, along with three other exile terrorists, was pardoned by the outgoing President of Panama, Mireya Moscoso, at the specific request of Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Returning to the U.S. in 2005, Posada was arrested and held on a trumped-up charge of illegal entry. This was, in time, dismissed and he is now a free man. As Jose Pertierra explains, "Rather than extraditing Posada to Venezuela - to face 73 charges of first-degree murder in relation to the downing of the Cubana flight - the U.S. has stonewalled Venezuela's extradition request and instead allows Posada to live freely in Miami along with other leading terrorists of Cuban origin such as Orlando Bosch." Peter Kornbluh agrees, noting that "It is impossible for the United States to convince the international community that it is serious about fighting terrorism when one of the world's most renowned international terrorists is being openly wined and dined in Miami for committing the very types of acts the U.S. condemns!"

Introductory Remarks

Wayne S. Smith, senior fellow, Center for International Policy

Speaker

Roseanne Nenninger, naturopathic doctor; sister of Raymond Persaud, victim of the bombing of Cubana Flight 455. We often think of the victims of terrorism simply as disembodied names; but, Roseanne explains the tragedy - the hopes with which her brother got on the plane that morning and his needless death.

Speaker

Peter Kornbluh, senior analyst, The National Security Archive, The George
Washington University. Kornbluh has compiled declassified CIA and FBI documents on Luis Posada Carriles and is the most conversant on the enormity of the man's crimes.

Speaker

José Pertierra, attorney-at-law, Pertierra & Toro, P.C.; represents the
Venezuelan government in the extradition case against Luis Posada Carriles.