N E W S

Havana. August 30, 2005

GOVERNMENT prosecutor Gina Jackson in El Paso, Texas yesterday asked for terrorist Luis Posada Carriles to be sent to Venezuela if the immigration court denies him political asylum, given that he is a citizen of that country. In her comments to Judge William Lee Abbott, the Homeland Security Department representative acknowledged that “initially,” the South American nation did not pose any “danger” for the international criminal.

According to EFE news agency, the judge accepted that request during the first day of the immigration court hearing, a process that may last at least three days.

Judge Abbott stated that Posada Carriles could be sent to Venezuela unless defense witnesses prove that the terrorist’s security would be at risk there.

Jackson argued that the terrorist should be denied asylum due to his long criminal record, which includes the sabotage of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people in 1976 over Barbados, and a string of terrorist attacks in 1997 against Cuban tourism facilities, as well as his conviction in Panama for crimes against national security.

Posada Carriles reiterated that he is seeking political asylum, in spite of the fact that he was warned that if that petition is found to be without merit, he could lose all privileges, such as permission to enter the country in the future on humanitarian grounds.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, attorney Joaquín Chaffardet is to testify for the defense. An old Venezuelan accomplice of Posada’s, he actively participated with him in the savage repression carried out by the former Venezuelan secret police, DISIP.

Chaffardet will supposedly speak of the “dangers” that Posada Carriles would face if sent to Venezuela.

Joaquín Chaffardet is quite well known in Caracas as an associate of Ricardo Koesling of the terrorist network that Posada built in that country. Koesling represents the terrorist Cuban-American National Foundation, and has been associated with the CIA and with Posada’s escape from prison in Caracas. He was an informant for DIGEPOL (the repressive political police of the 1960s) and later DISIP, and some link him to the 1976 bombing of the Cuban airliner.

Chaffardet, an unconditional supporter of terror and a fanatical opponent of President Hugo Chávez, was one of the advisors that Santiago Alvarez-Magriña called on when Posada was imprisoned in that country and the Venezuelan government presented an extradition petition. He then actively collaborated with narco-lawyer Rogelio Cruz, a former attorney general of the Republic of Panama who was removed because of corruption.

Posada Carriles, 77 years old, has been in custody of U.S. authorities since he was arrested in Miami, Florida in May, and faces charges of illegally entering the country.