By PABLO ALFONSO
El Nuevo Herald

A man identifying himself as Lazaro Betancourt, deputy chief of Cuban
President Fidel Castro's security team, defected to the U.S. Embassy in the
Dominican Republic during Castro's weekend visit to that country, according
to accounts in Dominican newspapers that were confirmed Wednesday by a
U.S. official in Washington.

``So far, all we can confirm is that a Cuban defector is under our protection in
the Dominican Republic and that we're checking to see if he is who he says he
is,'' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

``Every necessary precaution for his protection has been taken, pending
verification of his identity,'' the official said, adding that the defector walked
into the American Embassy in Santo Domingo and asked for political asylum.

``We hope that we can bring him to the United States in the next few hours,''
the source said.

Castro arrived in Santo Domingo on Friday to take part in the second summit
conference of the Association of Caribbean States. He left hurriedly on
Sunday after the final session, without appearing at the official press
conference that closed the summit.

If confirmed, this would be the first known defection of a Castro bodyguard
on active duty. Members of the president's security detail undergo a rigorous
selection process by the Directorate of Personal Security, an agency of the
Interior Ministry.

``Former members of Fidel's escort team have defected in the past, but never
an officer on duty,'' said Juan Antonio Rodriguez Menier, a former major in the
Cuban intelligence service who defected to the United States several years
ago. ``This is a significant defection because those men enjoy an enviable
standard of living.''

The Dominican government played no role in the defection, a source at the
Dominican intelligence service said Wednesday in Santo Domingo.

``The Cuban officer appeared in person at the U.S. Embassy. We had nothing
to do with that event,'' the source said.
 

                     Copyright 1999 Miami Herald