Caption: REUTERS/Howard Yanes:
A supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez holds a poster that portrays U.S. President George W. Bush as a devil during a march against terrorism in Caracas May 28, 2005. The U.S. rejected on Friday Venezuela’s first move to extradite a Cuban exile wanted for an airliner bombing, in a case that could challenge the U.S. commitment to fight all forms of terrorism.
Reuters News Service:
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - Tens of thousands of supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez marched Saturday to demand the extradition by the United States of a Cuban exile wanted by Caracas in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people.
The protest came a day after the United States rejected Venezuela’s request that Luis Posada Carriles, a militant foe of Cuban President Fidel Castro with Venezuelan citizenship, be arrested and extradited to the South American nation.
Blowing whistles and carrying banners reading, “No to Yankee terrorism,” protesters and government officials marched with Cuban relatives of the bombing victims through the streets of the capital city.
“We are marching … for the deportation of the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles,” Jorge Herrera, 45, said as loudspeakers on passing trucks blared, “Bush: fascist, murderer, imperialist.”
Venezuela’s initial request was “clearly inadequate” and lacked supporting evidence, a U.S. State Department official said Friday.
AFP:
CARACAS: Venezuelan Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel yesterday slammed US officials as “hypocritical” after Washington rejected Caracas’ request for the detention of Luis Posada Carriles, a militant opponent of Cuban President Fidel Castro.
“They condemn terrorism on the one hand, and on the other they protect terrorists,” Rangel said in a veiled reference to Posada Carriles as he led a protest demanding the Cuban-born Venezuelan’s extradition.
The protest was also held to show support for the state-run PDVSA oil company.
Rangel said the protest was called by supporters of President Hugo Chavez, a close ally of Castro, to “expose the hypocritical and fake US leaders.”
Eric Anderson at 1:53 pm
And so it goes. Another “grateful friend” of the U.S. I’ll say it again, turn Americas fields of grain into ethanol & biodiesel, and tell them to keep their oil as well. It took them almost 30 years to want this guy? There’s gotta be more to this story, or is it just jumping on the bandwagon of “America Bashing”? If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we make these ingrates wish we would buy their oil?
Comment by Isolationist Anthony — August 1, 2005 @ 12:06 am