Panama
Attempt to kill Cuban
leader foiled
By
Gloria La Riva
Havana, Cuba
Luis
Posada Carriles, a notorious anti-Cuba fascist responsible for the bombing
deaths of scores of people, was captured Nov. 17 along with three accomplices
after infiltrating Panama in an attempt to assassinate Cuban President Fidel
Castro.
The
revolutionary government in Havana has called for Posada's extradition to face
trial for his many crimes against Cuba. But the U.S. government is pressuring
Panama not to do it.
As
the struggle unfolds, the Cuban people will undoubtedly mobilize until justice
is
served.
Posada
is a well-known CIA operative. He contracted two Venezuelan men to place a bomb
on a Cubana Airlines plane departing from Barbados in 1976. The bomb destroyed
the plane in flight, killing 73 people, including the Cuban national fencing
team.
Posada
has also boasted about his role in the bombings of four Havana hotels in
1997--attacks that were financed by the Cuban American National Foundation and
resulted in the death of an Italian tourist, Fabio di
Celmo.
Fidel
blows lid off assassination
plot
Castro,
who had just arrived in Panama City's airport for the Tenth Ibero-American
Summit on Adolescents and Children, made an immediate declaration to the press
announcing Posada's presence in Panama. Castro revealed that Posada sneaked into
Panama on Nov. 5 with false papers and an array of weapons and
explosives.
"I
have the duty of informing you ... that terrorist elements, organized, financed
and directed from the U.S. by the Cuban American National Foundation, which is
an instrument of imperialism and the extreme right wing of that country, have
been sent to Panama City for the purpose of physically eliminating me," said
President
Castro.
He
added, "I make this declaration upon arriving here ... to make it perfectly
clear that no danger or threat can intimidate the presence of Cuba." When a
journalist asked him how Cuban security forces found out about Posada's
presence, he replied, "We have many friends
everywhere."
It
is clear that Cuba's state security has not only friends, but a superb
intelligence force that keeps a vigilant eye on right-wing terrorists intent on
wreaking destruction on the socialist island and its leaders. These terrorists
have been thwarted many times in the
past.
On
Nov. 21, in the third roundtable devoted to the case on Cuban television,
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque revealed the identities, addresses,
occupations and other vital data on each of Posada's accomplices, including
several who have so far eluded capture. He listed the cars they were driving in
Panama, the routes they took and the weapons they possessed.
Six
of the eight are Cuban-born, he said. Four are now U.S. citizens living in the
Miami
area.
About
20 pounds of C-4 explosives belonging to the terrorist gang were found in the
house of Jose Hurtado, Posada's driver. Unofficial sources said they were
supposed to be used at the University of Panama, where Castro spoke to thousands
of students on the last night of his
visit.
Posada
was taken into custody by Panamanian police within hours of President Castro's
announcement. He was using a Salvadoran passport under the alias of Franco
Rodriguez Mena. Cuba officially requested his extradition Nov. 21 to face trial
for numerous crimes, including the 1976 Cubana airlines
bombing.
Posada
was convicted in Venezuela for his role in the bombing. But he managed to
"escape" from a prison there in 1985.
Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez may also request Posada's extradition to face outstanding
charges for that
crime.
CIA
sheltered
Posada
Until
his arrest, Posada traveled throughout Central America almost at will, sowing
terror. For example, he supplied arms to the Nicaraguan contras in their war
against the Sandinista revolution. Posada was sheltered by the CIA as he did its
dirty work.
In
1997 Posada paid a young Salvadoran, Rene Cruz Leon, to plant bombs in Cuban
hotels to intimidate foreigners from traveling to Cuba. Fabio di Celma, the
Italian tourist, was killed in a bomb blast in the lobby of the Copacabana
Hotel.
In
Cuba, news of Posada's arrest was met with great enthusiasm, but also mistrust
about what the U.S. government might do to free him. There is a deep sense of
anger that the U.S. government has not only harbored this terrorist but financed
and supported him in its campaign of sabotage against
Cuba.
On
the Cuban TV roundtable, host Rogelio Polanco noted: "It is unquestionable that
the Panamanian government is being subjected to very strong pressure to free the
terrorists. Our people are confident in the dignity of the people and government
of Panama, who with the support of the peoples of Latin America and the world
will be capable of resisting such pressure and to act with
justice."
Di
Celmo's father pleaded for Panamanian authorities not to free Posada Carriles.
At the end of the first roundtable on Nov. 18, moving scenes of testimony by
family members of Posada's other victims were shown. One young man, whose father
piloted the Cubana airplane in 1976, said: "I will never forget my father's last
words. The horror will live with me the rest of my
life."
This
latest assassination attempt on Fidel Castro is part of U.S. imperialism's
constant war of aggression against Cuba. Because support for Cuba is growing
around the world, U.S. imperialism may resort to more covert tactics to try to
destroy the
revolution.
Against
these attacks, Cuba's strength lies in its ability to rally the masses in a
united defense. As in the struggle for Elián Gonzalez, the support of
workers and oppressed people in the United States will be key in this
battle.
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