Yahoo! November 23, 2000
PANAMA CITY, Panama 22 (AP) - Four Cuban exiles arrested in Panama will
likely be charged with plotting to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro, their
attorney said Wednesday.
Daniel Henderson made his comments after Panama police confirmed finding
plastic explosives near the Panama City airport. But Henderson maintained that
his clients had nothing to do with the explosives.
Panamanian authorities are considering an extradition request for the
group's alleged leader, Luis Posada Carriles, and the other anti-Castro exiles,
which was filed Tuesday by Cuba, police director Emilio de Leon said.
De Leon said 17.5 pounds of explosives were found Monday buried in a vacant
lot near the airport and that police were investigating a possible connection to
the men.
On Friday, Castro had told reporters gathered for a summit of Spanish and
Portuguese-speaking nations that Posada Carriles and the others had brought arms
and explosives into Panama to assassinate him.
The attack was allegedly to have taken place at the University of Panama,
where Castro addressed hundreds of students over the weekend.
Local media have reported Panamanian prosecutors are planning to charge the
four with criminal association and attacking the government - a terrorism charge
- but that has not been confirmed by officials.
Panama might also have to consider an extradition request from Venezuela,
where Posada Carriles escaped from custody in 1985 while awaiting retrial on
charges of the 1976 bombing a Cuban jetliner which killed 73 people. He has
denied involvement in the attack.
Copyright © Yahoo!
Inc.
Copyright © 2000
The Associated Press. | 