Apr. 7, 2007
Reprinted from Daily Granma

EL PASO, Texas, April 6.— District Judge Kathleen Cardone ordered Friday the release on bond of Luis Posada Carriles until his May 11 trial on charges of immigration fraud. However, a federal agency says he will remain in custody, reported AFP.

The court ruling confirms the double standard used by the Bush administration in its so-called war against terrorism. The US refuses to try Posada for crimes against humanity, while five Cuban men—known internationally as the Cuban Five— continue serving long, unjust prison sentences after they uncovered terrorist plots against the island hatched in US territory.

By coincidence, the decision ordering Luis Posada’s release on bond came on the tenth anniversary of a wave of terrorist attacks on Cuban tourist facilities in Havana, one of which took the life of Italian Fabio Di Celmo and wounded several Cubans. Posada has boasted of planning the attacks.

The judge yielded above all to the pressure of the Miami-based terrorist anti-Cuban organizations, like Alpha 66, which attended the bond hearing this week.

Meanwhile, the Immigration and Customs Agency (ICE) said it was "disappointed" with the decision and assured that instead of his being released, Posada would be transferred to an immigration detention center from the New Mexico jail where he is currently awaiting trial.

Posada faces two legal processes in the United States. One is in a district court over immigration fraud and giving false testimony. The other is in an immigration court for illegal entry into the US, under which a deportation order was already issued but no country expressed a willingness to accept him.

Meanwhile, the international community continues to demand justice and Venezuela insists on its extradition request, to date ignored by the US authorities.

Besides the Havana hotel attacks, Posada Carriles is credited with the bombing of Cubana Airlines Flight 455 in 1976 which killed all 73 persons on board, and plots to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro.

7 de abril de 2007
Reimprimado de Granma Diario

EL PASO, Texas, 6 de abril.— La jueza Kathleen Cardone concedió hoy aquí la libertad condicional a Luis Posada Carriles hasta el 11 de mayo, cuando le celebren el juicio por fraude migratorio, aunque una agencia federal lo mantendrá bajo custodia, según AFP.

El fallo judicial es otra confirmación del doble rasero del gobierno de George W. Bush en su alegada cruzada contra el terrorismo: se niega a procesar a Posada por sus crímenes de lesa humanidad, mientras mantiene en prisión a Cinco luchadores antiterroristas, quienes cumplen largas e injustas sentencias.

Coincidentemente, la disposición se produce en momentos en que se cumple el décimo aniversario del inicio de la ola de atentados a instalaciones turísticas de La Habana, que costó la vida al italiano Fabio Di Celmo y heridas a varios cubanos, otra obra criminal de Carriles.

La jueza se doblegó sobre todo a la presión de los representantes de organizaciones terroristas anticubanas, como Alpha 66, que asistieron a la vista esta semana. Por su parte, la agencia de Control de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) se declaró "decepcionada" con la decisión, aseguró que no soltará a Posada, y lo transferirá a un centro de detención migratoria.

El asesino se enfrenta a dos procesos en Estados Unidos, uno en los tribunales de justicia por fraude migratorio y falso testimonio, y otro en los tribunales migratorios, por su ingreso ilegal, por lo cual pesa sobre él una orden de deportación; aunque ninguna de las naciones consultadas ha aceptado admitirlo.

Mientras, la comunidad internacional exige justicia, al tiempo que Venezuela insiste en la petición de extradición.