Posada Carriles in the “Renacer Hilton”
Will there be justice in Panama?
BY JEAN-GUY ALLARD (Special for Granma International)
LUXURIOUSLY accommodated in his presidential “suite” in the
El Renacer model prison, terrorist chief Luís Posada Carriles,
meeting with his three henchmen, observes the dilatory
maneuvers of his narco-attorney Rogelio Cruz and the slow
but sure reduction of the charges against him and his
accomplices. He is already dusting off his suitcases,
convinced that he will soon be on the road to his Salvadoran
“hole” from where he will be able to reinitiate his terrorist
activities. Meanwhile, his helpers will return to their Miami
homes in the capital of U.S. terrorism, without any concerns.
Posada, aged 74; Gaspar Jiménez Escobedo, 67; Guillermo
Novo Sampol, 62; and Pedro Remón, 58, were arrested
in Panama City, November 17, 2000, just after Cuba revealed
to the Panamanian authorities a conspiracy to assassinate
President Fidel Castro at a student assembly.
Posada shares with Orlando Bosch of Miami the title of “most
dangerous terrorist in the hemisphere” given to
him by the very FBI, despite the links of both of them with
the CIA. And without exception, his accomplices have a long
history of terrorism. Among other crimes, Jiménez murdered
Cuban technician Artaignan Díaz in Mexico; Remón
assassinated Cuban UN representative Félix García Rodríguez,
and Novo killed former Chilean Ambassador Orlando Letelier.
On November 19, 2000, the Panamanian authorities confirmed
that they had arrested various terrorists, among them
Posada, Jiménez, Novo and Remón. They also seized a large
quantity of C-4 explosives, made in the USA, along with
compromising documents, providing evidence of an extremely
grave conspiracy.
Nevertheless, in the following months, the apparent
determination of the Panamanian judicial apparatus to pursue
the four suspects gave way to foreign intervention,
maneuvers behind closed doors, press campaigns and other
tricks orchestrated by Miami Mafia bosses and Rogelio Cruz,
former prosecutor of the Republic, with a long record of ties to
the Colombian drug cartels. He was elected by the Miami
leaders to get their four protégés released from prison.
The conclusion: the amply justified extradition requests from
both Cuba and Venezuela against Posada were discarded, as
were a written request for DNA tests and the most recent
findings of those involved in protecting the four terrorists. The
explosives’ detonator mysteriously disappeared and suddenly,
the conspirators’ driver doesn’t remember ever having seen
the explosives.
This quartet of assassins is to be brought before the court for
the preliminary hearing on December 5. This does not involve
any charges of attempted murder, as logic would dictate, but
rather three minor charges: possession of explosives, illegal
association with the express purpose of breaking the law and
forgery of public documents. In accordance with Panamanian
legislation, the judge will determine during the preliminary
hearing if the case is even worthy of a trial or... if it should
be dismissed.
The most likely outcome is that the four indicted suspects will
be released from prison even if found guilty on the lesser
charges. After all, they’ve already done two years in jail.
THE LAW ACCORDING TO ROGELIO CRUZ
As attorney for the Miami mafia, attorney Rogelio Cruz is
clearly attempting to justify the huge salary he is being paid
by demonstrating his ability to use classic legal devices, in
which exercise he has a lot of experience. He is proclaiming
that his clients are suffering from a long list of illnesses,
denouncing the alleged violation of their human rights,
disinforming the press and constantly petitioning that they be
moved to more “adequate” quarters in order to put together
an eventual escape plan.
“Rogelio Cruz is guilty of slowing down the judicial process;
he wants to avoid any case,” declared Julio Barrios, the legal
representative for the popular groups, to the Mexican news
agency Notimex. Barrios denounced various attempts by the
narco-attorney to expel trade unions and student groups that
wish to participate in the eventual trial.
In vain, Cruz presented various appeals for habeas corpus to
the court in an effort to free his clients, but a move that did
procure them trial postponements. This technique is worth it
for their defense attorney as he continues to receive payment
for his service while the judicial process is prolonged.
Cruz likewise fruitlessly tried challenge Judge Enrique Paniza,
finally given the case, using the fallacious argument that he
had a “special interest” in the trial. The judge denied any
intent and a higher court rejected the petition.
TELEVISIONS, INTERNET AND UNLIMITED VISITS
Meanwhile, the four terrorists continue waiting for their lucky
break in the El Renacer model prison, on the verge of being
renamed the “Renacer Hilton” due to the number of privileges
granted to the Miami camarilla family.
Situated just 60 meters from the Panama Canal, which the
four terrorists view freely, inciting them to escape, the court
offered its most “distinguished” prisoners services of the likes
most Panamanian prisoners couldn’t even dream of.
In the El Renacer penitentiary, Posada, Jiménez, Novo and
Remón currently enjoy the comforts of a gilded cage, as
pointed out in a recent roundtable discussion on Cuban
television. This was confirmed by journalist Lázaro Baredo
who, as a Cuban deputy, had the opportunity to visit the
prison with a delegation of Ibero-American parliamentarians.
They have televisions, computers with Internet access, air
conditioning, different meals from those of the other
prisoners; they also receive a daily number of unlimited visits,
including other Miami terrorists, among them Santiago
Alvarez, whose criminal activities are widely documented.
“UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES” FOR BRIBERY
Reports recently prepared by Panamanian legal experts have
demonstrated that that country’s judicial system is subject to
both corruption and manipulation. Corruption is one of the
most serious problems of the Panamanian judicial system,
remarked the Pro-Justice Citizens’ Alliance last year. The
custom of judges accepting bribes behind closed doors
illustrates the absence of transparency that presents
“unlimited opportunities” for different types of illicit behavior,
commented the organization.
Present detention conditions authorized by a controversial
judge; the mafia-type methods of attorney Cruz; suspicious
visits in Panama by representatives of the Miami camarilla,
both to see the prisoners and to confer privately with the
national authorities; the disappearance of evidence; and the
reduction of charges against the four known terrorists, all
open the doors to every doubt.
The crime planned by Posada Carriles and his accomplices in
November 2000 was extremely grave and could have resulted
in a major massacre involving hundreds of students and
workers: in other words, Posada and his henchmen were at
the point of committing one of the most disastrous acts of
terrorism ever seen on the continent.
In light of their records, these four suspects have amply
demonstrated their capacity to coldly commit the worst acts
of terrorism.
Now that the charges against the four terrorists have been
reduced to minor offenses, they will soon be able to reinitiate
the same criminal activities they have honed over four
decades. And so, the question begs: will there be justice in
Panama?