Miami's Cuban Connection

Congressional Reps Go to Bat for Posada

South Florida's Three Cuban American Congressional Representatives today issued a statement condemning the FBI for cooperating with Cuba to build a terror case against exile militant Luis Posada Carriles.

Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said:

"By asking a state sponsor of terrorism for "evidence" regarding terrorism, the Bush Administration Justice Department demonstrates a shockingly profound ignorance of the nature of terrorism, of its origins, and its state sponsors. The only "evidence" that the terrorist regime in Havana could provide the United States with regard to the twice-acquited-in-Venezuela-Mr. Posada or anyone else, would be fabricated evidence. The evidence that the Bush Administration Justice Department needs to bring forth and stop ignoring is of the murder of U.S. citizens and other crimes committed with impunity by the Castro brothers and their henchmen."

FBI, Cuba Cooperating on Posada

The FBI office in Miami has been quietly gathering evidence on a 1997 bombing that killed an Italian man at a Havana hotel, with agents traveling to the Cuban capital recently to see if they can link Cuban exile militant Luis Posada Carriles to the attack.

The extraordinary effort at cooperation between the two countries underscores their shared goal to pin the plot on Posada, the focus of a federal grand jury probe in Newark, N.J. Posada, a former CIA operative trained in explosives, is under house arrest at his wife's West Kendall apartment as he awaits trial on immigration fraud charges unrelated to the bombing.

Where's Fidel?

Any guesses?

Chavez: Fidel's in Charge Again

"Fidel is in charge. Fidel is in charge,'' Chávez said, revealing that he received a ''philosophical letter'' from Castro the day before and that it ran nearly 10 pages.

Speaking during a meeting of leftist leaders, Chávez laughed as he said that Bolivian President Evo Morales ``is determined that Fidel will come out on May 1.''

LA Times: Castro's Back; What Reforms?

Nine months after falling victim to an illness that many U.S. analysts assumed would prove fatal, Fidel Castro appears to have come back from death's door to resume some leadership responsibilities and rein in Cuba's would-be reformers.