Miami woman who unwittingly wed spy wants $41 million from Cuba
MIAMI -- (AP) -- Lawyers for a woman who unwittingly married a Cuban double agent asked a judge Wednesday for $41 million from the Cuban government.
Ana Margarita Martinez, 40, said she should get $1 million for
each year of her life expectancy because she felt she been used like a
political pawn by her husband and
the Cuban government.
Martinez was romanced and married to Juan Pablo Roque as part
of his official cover before he slipped away and returned to Cuba in 1996.
A day later, Cuban jets shot
down two small planes being flown by a Miami group that had been
infiltrated by Roque.
During closing arguments, attorney Scott Leeds showed the judge
blowup pictures of Roque and Martinez on their wedding day and pictures
of them with her children from
a previous marriage.
``She's suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, chronic depression,'' Leeds said.
Leeds also asked Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Alan Postman to amend the lawsuit so that they could seek punitive damages. Postman agreed.
Postman ruled for her earlier when the Cuban government failed to defend itself and said he would rule on the question of damages within two weeks.
He said a hearing on punitive damages would take place sometime next month.
Roque, who was indicted in absentia as part of a reputed 14-member
Cuban spy ring based in Miami, made a splashy entrance as a defector in
1992 by swimming from
communist Cuba to the U.S. Navy base on the island's eastern
tip.
Martinez said she met the former Cuban air force major when he
was brought to a Bible study class by his cousin, an FBI agent. Roque later
went on the FBI payroll as
an informant.
He volunteered with Brothers to the Rescue but secretly fled to
Havana the day before a Cuban MiG shot down two planes flown by the exile
group on Feb. 24, 1996, over
international waters between Cuba and Florida.
The mother of one of the four victims asked Martinez to leave
his memorial service, and she described the embarrassment of being stared
at and whispered about in
public, especially when people were uncertain whether she knew
Roque was a spy or not.
``Maybe this trial will be able to alleviate some of the guilt she feels on behalf of her children and the loss of the four young men'' shot down, Leeds said.
Martinez had her 11-month marriage following a two-year courtship
annulled, and the Cuban government is the sole defendant. She charged in
the lawsuit that each time
she had sex with Roque amounted to rape.
Martinez said she is justified in asking for millions from the Cuban government.
``I hope that this may prevent something like this from happening
in the future,'' she said. ``The chances are slim that I will collect.
Even if I don't collect, this was
worthwhile to bring it into court.''