Last month, Cuba and Venezuela were both up in arms over rumors that the U.S. might be harboring Luis Posada Carriles. Carriles, you see, is a Cuban exile who is wanted in Venezuela for the bombing of a Cuban airliner in the mid-70s. Carriles has also claimed responsibility for multiple bombings of Havana tourist spots in the 90s. His’ lawyer, meanwhile, has told the press that Carriles’ had applied for asylum in the U.S. and said “his client’s asylum application would be based partly on his claim that he worked ‘directly and indirectly’ for the CIA for years, and had thus helped US interests.”
And yet, when the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled yesterday that they are seeking Carriles’ extradition due to the fact that he is a Venezuelan citizen, the State Department acted oblivious. Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega noted that the U.S. can’t seem to find Carriles, remarking, “I don’t even know that he is in the United States.” Noriega, not able to resist a jab at Cuba, referred to Cuban accusations against Carriles as “a completely manufactured issue.” That’s right. Because here in America, suspected terrorists are always innocent until proven… oh, wait.
