Church to host 'people's tribunal' for ex-CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles
By Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Posted: 01/06/2011 12:46:58 PM MST
A former U.S. attorney general and a lawyer for the Venezuelan government are among the people expected for a "people's tribunal" Sunday to consider allegations against ex-CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles.
The symbolic proceeding will take place at a Central El Paso church a day before his federal trial is set to begin on 11 immigration-related charges.
Mary Gourdoux, a spokeswoman for the organizers of the tribunal, said the it will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso, 4425 Byron, and is open to the public.
Participants will include Dallas native Ramsey Clark, the U.S. Attorney General under President Lyndon Baines Johnson; Jose Pertierra, lawyer representing Venezuela's extradition order for Posada; Keith Bolender, author of a book on Miami-based terrorism and Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, co-founder of Partnership for Justice.
The following day, activists who are asking the U.S. government to extradite Posada to Venezuela will conduct a protest at 8 a.m. in front of the federal courthouse Downtown.
Posada critics contend that the former U.S.-trained operative and foe of Fidel Castro should be tried on terrorism charges for his alleged role in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people.
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The Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso is hosting the tribunal because there is lack of public awareness about Posada's history, said Janet Kincaid, a church spokeswoman.
"We hope the tribunal will offer a sense of justice and peace to the families of Posada's victims and provide a learning experience for the public," she said.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17025739--------------------------
I am less than two hours from El Paso and had planned to go. Unfortunately an older brother is very ill and near death so cannot be in El Paso on Sunday and Monday. Suggest you and Judi be on the alert to post on DU on Monday when the trial begins. Will be very interesting whether the U.S. federal court judge finds him guilty on the immigration charges. But not likely he will be shipped off to Venezuela.