By JUAN O. TAMAYO
             Herald Staff Writer

             SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Three Cuban exiles from Miami, including an official
             of the Cuban American National Foundation, pleaded innocent Wednesday to
             charges of trying to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro.

             The son of one defendant said the charges were puzzling in light of the U.S. history
             of hostility toward Castro and his government.

             One of the accused, Jose Antonio Llama, 67, a director of the foundation, told
             reporters after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Jesus Castellanos that the
             powerful exile lobby ``had nothing to do with this'' case, but declined further
             comment.

             Llama posted $100,000 bond after the 15-minute hearing while his fellow
             defendants, Miami lumber dealer Jose Rodriguez, 59, and retired Miami
             businessman Alfredo Otero, 68, each posted bond of $75,000.

             Also pleading not guilty Wednesday was a Llama-owned Miami firm, Nautical
             Sports, that owned the yacht La Esperanza where guns and ammunition for the
             alleged plot were found last October after it docked in Puerto Rico.

  Castro's Venezuela visit

             Prosecutors say Llama, Rodriguez and Otero, plus four exiles arrested aboard La
             Esperanza and arraigned last week, were plotting to kill Castro during a visit to
             Venezuela's Margarita Island in November.

             The seven defendants could get life in prison if convicted on charges of attempted
             murder of a foreign head of state, conspiracy to murder and failing to declare the
             weapons found aboard La Esperanza.

             Llama's son told reporters that he found the charges odd because of the U.S.
             history of animosity toward Cuba -- which includes several attempts to assassinate
             the Cuban president in the early and mid-1960s.

             ``I cannot understand how a government that spent so long fighting communists
             would now try to protect them,'' said Jose Llama, 42, a Puerto Rico resident.

             Defense lawyers appeared split, however, on whether they will try to use the long
             history of U.S. government-sponsored attacks on Cuba during the trial, expected
             to take place around April of next year.

             Sidestepping politics

             Ricardo Pesquera, attorney for Angel Alfonso, one of four exiles arrested aboard
             La Esperanza, scheduled and then canceled a news conference Wednesday at
             which he had been expected to highlight past U.S. government plots against Cuba.

             Llama's lawyer, Jose Pagan, said defense lawyers are planning to avoid the issue
             of politics during the trial. ``That will not be our defense,'' he said.

             Prosecutor Miguel Pereira, asked if he might charge more defendants in coming
             weeks, replied with a terse ``Anything is possible.'' Lawyers for foundation
             President Francisco ``Pepe'' Hernandez said Aug. 20 that they expected him to be
             indicted but he was not among those named in the indictment handed up Aug. 25.

             Pagan said he doubted Pereira could add new defendants to the case since he had
             already spent eight months in the grand jury investigation that led to the indictments
             of the seven men and Nautical Sports.

             Exports air conditioners

             Llama lived in Puerto Rico from 1961 until around 1990, when he and his wife
             moved to Miami. He owns a firm that exports air-conditioning equipment
             throughout Latin America.

             While prosecutors have released no details of the alleged plot, last month's
             indictment charged Otero was supposed to handle communications with La
             Esperanza at sea and Rodriguez had rented a car used in the conspiracy.

             Rodriguez forgot several boxes of .50-caliber ammunition, similar to those found
             on La Esperanza, in the trunk of the car when he returned it to a Miami rental
             agency, investigators have said.