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Caribbean-Latin America
Venezuela's Chavez to Reconsider U.S. Ties
2005-05-23
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Venezuela would reconsider its diplomatic ties with Washington if the United States does not extradite a Cuban exile accused of plotting the 1976 bombing of a Cuban jet. His statements came as a former U.S. prosecutor said he determined in a federal investigation that Luis Posada Carriles was at a 1976 meeting in the Dominican Republic where Cuban exile militants discussed plans to bomb a Cuban plane. The information from former assistant U.S. attorney E. Lawrence Barcella Jr. could be used to convince an immigration judge to deny Posada U.S. asylum, The Miami Herald reported Sunday.

The ex-CIA operative is in U.S. custody awaiting a decision on whether he will be extradited to the South American country. He has denied taking part in the bombing. "We can't rush things, but if the United States does not extradite Luis Posada Carriles we will be forced to reconsider our diplomatic ties," Chavez said on his weekly radio program. "We will have to consider whether it's worth having an embassy there, and whether it's worth the United States having an embassy here." The 77-year-old is expected to request asylum at an immigration hearing June 13. He was charged Thursday with entering the U.S. illegally. Venezuela wants to try the 77-year-old Cuban militant with murder and treason for the 1976 bombing, which tore apart the Cubana Airlines plane after it took off from Barbados.
Posted by:Fred

#10  How is a Cuban who blew up a Cuban plane out of Barbados even hypothetically guilty of treason against Venezuela? Sounds like if we should be extraditing this alleged piece of shit anywhere, it ought to be to Barbados, which would be the one civilized country involved in that whole sorry series of events. They have the death penalty in Barbados, right?
Posted by: Mitch H.   2005-05-23 16:01  

#9  He's been trying to blame the Yanquees for everything. He's tried to provoke Bush into even noticing him. Now he sets up a scenerio where (a) Bush hands the Cuban to Castro for show trial and thus Chavez is some kind of hero or (b) Bush refuses to turn over the Cuban and Chavez can use that as a rational for closing the US embassy in Venezuela.

Of course if he closes ties the US can probably hassle him in the world court and UN about it.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2005-05-23 15:23  

#8  This guy's got a star for perfect attendanc just like Bob. Must be some dictatorial fraternity thing.
Posted by: Slulet Glater4736 aka Jarhead   2005-05-23 13:45  

#7  I think Chavez's lips were used for the Jish character in "The Blair Thumb"...
Posted by: Hyper   2005-05-23 13:40  

#6  That smug, sanctimonious and stupid peanut farmer has a lot to answer for.

Unlikely he'll be ever called to account for any of it.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-05-23 11:21  

#5  Thank Jimmy Carter for giving legitimacy to the stolen election that put Chavez in power. That smug, sanctimonious and stupid peanut farmer has a lot to answer for.
Posted by: too true   2005-05-23 10:51  

#4  We've been watching it creep every week for the past couple years...
Posted by: Fred   2005-05-23 07:47  

#3  Hugo is continuously crossing the line and I think he needs a wake up call. This is a threat that's going to creep up on us.
Posted by: Omaiper Grilet3632   2005-05-23 06:02  

#2  This is like a long-running soap opera... The South American Story.

"we will be forced to reconsider our diplomatic ties"

Um, yeah well, we're already doing that, Chebby. You're a lunatic fool and if you didn't have oil no one would even notice your spiffy sash, bling-bling, and bicycle sprocket. If your own people don't hang you, you'll all be out in The Cold for a very very long time. I hope you hate cigars and sitting through long speeches. Chebby The Grate, testing the limits of stupidity... daily. And taking 25 million people down with him.

Sorry about the spoilers.
Posted by: .com   2005-05-23 04:55  

#1  A cuban plane, takes off from Barbados, blows up and Chavez wants to try him? I think he should be sent to Cuba. If Cuba wantes to give him to Venezuela fine. We can try him here as well. Hugo can bite someones rear.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom   2005-05-23 04:28  

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