NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO FREE THE CUBAN FIVE
Comité Nacional por la Libertad de los Cinco Cubanos

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Campaign Launched to Extradite Posada Carriles to Venezuela

by Kiraz Janicke
Jan. 24, 2008
Reprinted from Venezuelanalysis.com

Caracas, January 24, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com) - Medea Benjamin, spokesperson for CODEPINK: Women for Peace, a well known anti-war group in the US, and Jesús Marrero from the Committee for the Extradition of Posada Carriles in Venezuela, held a joint press conference in Caracas today to demand the arrest and extradition to Venezuela of former CIA operative and international terrorist Luis Posada Carriles.

Described by Venezuela's Ambassador to the U.S., Bernardo Alvarez, as the "Bin Laden of Latin America," Posada, a Cuban-born Venezuelan citizen, is wanted in Venezuela on 73 counts of first degree murder in connection to the bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976. Posada was charged over the bombing of the Cuban airliner in Venezuela, but escaped from prison in 1985 before going to trial. In an interview with the New York Times Posada has also freely admitted his involvement in numerous other terrorist attacks, including a string of hotel bombings in Cuba, which killed an Italian tourist in 1997.

Venezuela has sought the extradition of Posada since 2005, however the U.S. Department of Homeland Security initially decided to try Posada on the charge of illegal entry into the U.S. rather than to process the Venezuelan request for his extradition. Posada was freed from a U.S. jail in El Paso, in May last year after a federal judge dismissed the charges against him for illegally entering the U.S. and U.S. courts have ruled that he cannot be extradited to Venezuela on the grounds that he may be subjected to torture - a claim which the Venezuelan government says is baseless.

Since then he has been living freely in Miami where he spends his time at the Versailles Restaurant or the Big Five social club lounging by the pool, according to Benjamin. "He is even hosting an art exhibition because now he is an ‘artist'," she added.

"George Bush claims nations that ‘harbor terrorists...are just as guilty as the terrorists and will be held to account,' therefore our government should be held to account for supporting terrorism, because we have Luis Posada Carriles who is living in the United States," Benjamin said.

CODEPINK recently initiated a campaign to include Posada on the FBI's 20 "Most Wanted" terrorists and is demanding his immediate arrest. However, Benjamin explained that when they attempted to peacefully collect signatures for the arrest of Posada at the Versailles Restaurant in Miami on January 12 their car was attacked by a violent mob of Posada's supporters from the Cuban exile community who threw bottles and eggs. The FBI and Miami-Dade police, "did nothing" to guarantee our security she said.

Benajmin also pointed to the close links between the Bush family, Posada Carriles and Cuban exile community in Miami as an explanation for the reticence of the US government to act on the Posada Carriles case. "George Bush senior was chief of the CIA and knows well the movements of Posada when he was acting as an as an agent of the US government in Latin America. Jeb Bush was supported as governor of Florida by the same group of anti-Castro Cuban exiles that are now attempting to prevent actions agianst Posada."

The failure of the Bush administration to arrest and extradite Posada Carriles makes an absolute mockery of the so-called "war on terror," Benjamin added.

Marrero, himself a torture victim of operations directed by Posada in 1973 when he was Chief of Operations of Venezuelan Intelligence, the DISIP, detailed a series of abuses which he said occurred under Posada's command, including a massacre of 40 people.

He also said the Committee for the Extradition of Posada Carriles would continue the campaign to bring him to justice and has collected thousands of signatures in Venezuela demanding his extradition, which will be handed over to U.S Ambassador to Venezuela, Patrick Duddy.

Benjamin assured that the document with 35,000 signatures would be delivered to the U.S. Justice Department, as well as several U.S. congressmen, including William Delahunt when she returns to the U.S.

CODEPINK will be relaunching their campaign again at the Versailles Restaurant on February 9. They will also be asking the FBI and Miami-Dade Police to guarantee their right to free speech and free assembly.

     

Iniciarán campaña por la extradición de Luis Posada Carriles en EEUU

24 de enero de 2008
Reimprimado de ABN

Caracas, 24 Ene. ABN.- El comité por la extradición de Luis Posada Carriles y la organización norteamericana Código Rosado entregarán un documento al Departamento de Justicia y al Congreso estadounidenses, en el que exigen la devolución de Luis Posada Carriles al Gobierno venezolano.

Según informó la activista estadounidense Medea Benjamin, en una rueda de prensa efectuada este jueves en el hotel Anauco Hilton, el documento está suscrito por más de 35 mil firmas recogidas en Venezuela.

'La idea es dar difusión a este tema en los Estados Unidos (EEUU) con el fin de generar el interés de nuestro pueblo y conseguir que este asesino no siga siendo protegido por un gobierno que dice luchar contra el terrorismo mundial', explicó Benjamin.

La representante de Código Rosado recalcó que, a pesar de todos los crímenes cometidos y confesados públicamente por Posada, está libre y haciendo vida pública en Florida, en EEUU.

'Frecuenta el restaurante Versalles e incluso el famoso club social Big Five. Está a punto de hacer una exposición de unas obras de arte que supuestamente produce', agregó.

Indicó que su organización se propuso realizar una campaña para incluir a Posada en la lista de los 20 terroristas más buscados por la Oficina Federal de Investigación (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés), con una manifestación pacífica frente al restaurante Versalles el pasado 12 de enero.

En tal sentido, denunció que bandas de anticastristas impidieron violentamente la realización de su protesta con la mirada e inacción cómplice de la policía estatal.

'Nos lanzaron huevos, piedras y destruyeron los carros de nuestra caravana', agregó Benjamin, señalando a las cámaras las fotos que demostraban la agresión.

Dentro de las pruebas exhibidas, 'el grupo agresor aparece portando pancartas a favor de Robert Giuliani', denunció.

Giuliani es actualmente el precandidato a la presidencia de EEUU por el partido republicano y fue alcalde de Nueva York durante la caída de las torres gemelas del World Trade Center.

Asimismo, Medea Benjamin recordó los nexos de la familia Bush con Posada Carriles y lo que calificó como la mafia anticastrista que tiene sede en Miami.

'George Bush padre fue jefe de la CIA y conoce ampliamente los movimientos de Posada cuando éste actuaba como agente del gobierno estadounidense en Latinoamérica. Además, Jeb Bush fue apoyado para llegar a ser gobernador de Florida por estos mismos grupos anticastristas, y ahora todos presionan para evitar acciones contra Posada', acotó.

Finalmente, la activista indicó que reiniciarán las actividades de difusión el 9 de febrero, tanto a las puertas del restaurante Versalles, como con charlas en la escuela de leyes de la Universidad de Miami, por parte del abogado José Pertierra, entre otros.

 

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