Hundreds of Venezuelans demonstrated in Caracas on Saturday as the government called nationwide protests to demand the extradition of a Cuban exile wanted for allegedly plotting the 1976 bombing of a Cuban jet that killed 73 people.
State-run television reported that thousands joined other rallies at city plazas across the country to demand Washington turn over Luis Posada Carriles, now being held by US immigration authorities. The state-run channel did not show images of demonstrations in other cities, and more precise crowd estimates were not available.
Hundreds of President Hugo Chavez's supporters gathered in the historic Plaza Bolivar in Caracas, dancing to a band that sang one song urging the crowd to "fight against the protection of Luis Posada Carriles" by the US.
PHOTO: EPA
"Legally, the United States must extradite Posada Carriles, a terrorist who committed crimes in Venezuela by planning the bombing here, then escaping from jail," said Carlos Bracamente, a 48-year-old demonstrator.
Venezuela wants to try the 77-year-old, a staunch opponent of Cuba's Fidel Castro, with murder and treason for the bombing, which tore apart the Cubana Airlines plane after it took off from Barbados. Posada, an ex-CIA operative and a naturalized Venezuelan, is accused of plotting the attack in Caracas.
Two men who worked for Posada allegedly planted the bomb and were sentenced to 20-year prison terms. Posada was acquitted twice and escaped from a Venezuelan prison in 1985 while prosecutors were appealing.
A decision by US authorities to charge Posada only with entering the country illegally has drawn sharp criticism from Chavez, who has accused the US government of harboring a terrorist and trying to justify not turning him over.
"That man killed innocent people in his campaign against revolutionaries throughout Latin America for decades," said protester Manuel Montanez, 44. "I don't understand how those in Washington can say they fight terrorists, but they refuse to send one to face justice."
Supreme Court president Omar Mora Diaz said if the US does not extradite him, it will be violating international law, the state-run Bolivarian News Agency reported.
"It's obligated morally and ethically to honor its commitment to extradite this terrorist," he said.
Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez also said Washington is obligated under the law to extradite Posada.
Posada, who has denied wrongdoing, was being held without bond at a detention center in El Paso, Texas, pending a June 13 hearing.
Prosecutors say Posada escaped from prison twice. In 1982, disguised in a military uniform, he broke out by taking a prison guard hostage while brandishing a grenade and handgun, officials say. Posada and an accomplice were recaptured the next day.
In 1985, Posada escaped again. According to news reports at the time, officials said he paid officers a US$28,600 bribe and walked out of prison. Some accounts said he was dressed as a priest.
Associates have said Posada then immediately began working for the Iran-Contra project, helping the White House illegally ship arms to the Contra rebels in Central America. He was based in El Salvador's Ilopango Air Base and allegedly used the alias Ramon Medina.
The decision by US officials to charge Posada with only an immigration-related crime also has drawn criticism from 20 Democratic US lawmakers led by Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, who sent President George W. Bush a letter saying Posada should be extradited.
In a statement, New York Democrat Representative Jose Serrano said: "Here's a guy who has admitted to committing terrorist attacks, who escaped justice by bribing his guards and hightailing it out of prison, and we're not willing to extradite him to face justice?"
"How can we with any credibility ask other nations to help us out with our global struggle against terror when we won't cooperate with other nations' anti-terror proceedings?" Serrano added.
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