VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0556/01 1902002
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 082002Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1175
RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2256
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0095
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000556 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PM PTER KCRM VE CU
SUBJECT: PANAMA:  EXTRADITION REQUEST FOR POSADA EXPECTED 
 
REF: PANAMA 542 
 
Classified By: Classified by POLCOUNS Brian R. Naranjo for 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (C) Panama is under internal as well as external pressure 
- from the Cuban government - to request extradition of Luis 
Posada Carriles, whose 2004 pardon, along with those of 181 
others, was recently overturned by the Supreme Court.   A 
lawsuit was filed in Panama's Fifth Circuit requesting the 
extradition of Posada and three other Cubans.  The U.S. "must 
extradite" Luis Posada Carriles, Cuban National Assembly 
President Ricardo Alarcon declared June 6 upon arriving in 
Panama City for the "Latin American-Caribbean Parliamentary 
Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba" hosted by his counterpart 
Panamanian National Assembly President Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, 
who is under U.S. federal indictment in connection with the 
1992 murder of a U.S. serviceman. GOP officials are 
proceeding to implement the decision of the Supreme Court, 
that returns the pardoned cases to their "original state." 
 
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Panamanian Lawyers File Suit to Push Extradition 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  (U) On July 4, a group of Panamanian lawyers filed suit 
in the Fifth Panama City Circuit Court in Panama City to 
request the extradition of Posada and three other anti-Castro 
Cubans.  The group also announced plans to file lawsuits 
against former GOP officials who had roles in the pardons and 
subsequent departure of the Cubans, charging them with abuse 
of authority.  (COMMENT:  Ex-President Mireya Moscoso has 
immunity from prosecution as a member of the Central American 
parliament.  END COMMENT)  Julio Berros, spokesman for the 
group of lawyers, said that they would immediately ask the 
Interpol office in Panama to arrest Posada and the others as 
they were "fugitives from Panamanian justice."  The four 
lawyers who requested extradition were involved in the 
prosecution 2004 trial of Posada and the others. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Alarcon Arrives for PMG-sponsored summit 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Alarcon further said that "George Bush must grab him 
without anyone asking him and put him in a bag and send him 
to Panama."  Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo 
Alarcon, in Panama to attend the "Latin American-Caribbean 
Parliamentary Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba," also called 
for Posada's extradition. The meeting, sponsored by the 
Panamanian-Cuban Interparlimentary Friendship Group and 
organized by Panamanian National Assembly President - and 
indicted U.S. fugitive - Pedro Miguel Gonzalez (PMG), would 
be devoted to debating "the struggle for the liberation of 
five Cuban antiterrorists arrested and convicted in the 
United States."  (COMMENT:  This refers to five Cubans 
arrested in Florida in 1998 on charges of espionage.  END 
COMMENT) 
 
 
-------------------------------------- 
GOP Gears Begin to Grind Through Cases 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶4.  (U) First VP and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro 
commented to the media on July 1 that "if the persons in 
charge of meting out justice submit a request to have Posada 
Carriles returned to the country we will take the necessary 
steps to have him come to face the charges lodged against 
him."  Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez has asked Superior 
Prosecutors, District Prosecutors and other public ministry 
authorities to inventory the 182 pardons, including Posada 
Carriles', that were thrown out and determine the status of 
each pardoned individual.  The Court's decision required that 
each case be returned to its "original state" prior to 
pardon, which for Posada would be a return to jail in Panama. 
 
 
 
 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶5. (C) It is increasingly likely that the GOP will request 
extradition of Posada and the three other Cubans once the 
required legal processes have played themselves out.  Embassy 
contacts, except for those directly affected by the reversal 
of the pardons, seem to be of one mind that the overturn of 
the 182 pardons was a necessary check on Executive power, and 
that the GOP should follow its laws and legal processes, 
which eventually, in the case of Posada and the other Cubans, 
will result in a extradition request to the U.S. from the GOP. 
MESA