Posada Case Proves Innocence of Cuban Five

"The best proof of the innocence of the Cuban Five, unjustly imprisoned in the United States, is personified by Luis Posada Carriles, whose release on bail outrageously violates the basis for Washington’s supposed war against terrorism," said Ricardo Alarcon, president of the Cuban parliament.

Alarcon spoke at an international solidarity meeting held at the Havana Convention Center on Wednesday with representatives of labor, social and political organizations from more than 70 countries.

Alarcon referred to a document presented by Posada’s own attorneys on April 30, in which he admits working for the CIA for more than 25 years starting in 1961.

The statement, Alarcon notes, confirms what Cuba has always said: "Posada was a CIA man at the time of the Barbados plane bombing, when he was involved in Operation Condor, during the dirty war against Nicaragua and as a top Venezuelan secret police officer, when he tortured and killed many people."

The Cuban-born Posada is a naturalized Venezuelan who escaped from prison while awaiting trial for the 1976 midair bombing of a Cuban Airliner. The commercial plane had left from Venezuela and blew up off the coast of Barbados resulting in the death of all 73 persons on board. Operation Condor was a plan to eliminate all opposition to the South American dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s. The dirty war was aimed at toppling the Nicaraguan Revolution and took place in the 1980s.

On the other hand, the Cuban Five, imprisoned in the US since 1998, had worked to gather information about terrorist plans against Cuba by Miami-based groups that operate with impunity in the US. When Cuba shared its intelligence information with Washington, the FBI proceeded to arrest the informants while allowing the terrorists to continue their activities on US soil.

Alarcon called on the solidarity with the Cuban Five movement to step up efforts to obtain their freedom. He noted that a decisive ruling from the Appeals Court of Atlanta is expected to come after the oral hearing tentatively set for August 20.

"Only through solidarity can we obtain justice in this case. All of us that feel part of this noble effort to create a better world and combat terrorism are obliged to keep close watch over the developments in this case," said Alarcon.

Besides their continued support to seek the release of the Cuban Five and demand that Posada Carriles be tried for his crimes, the solidarity gathering gave its support to the Cuban Revolution.

Also attending the gathering were Fernando Remirez de Estenoz, from the Cuban Communist Party Secretariat; Salvador Valdes Mesa, general secretary of the Cuban Workers Federation; and George Mavrikos, general secretary of the World Labor Federation.

ORFILIO PELAEZ (Granma)