Chavez slams 'negative' U.S. move over Cuban exile

[cal04]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday condemned as "negative" the United States' rejection of an initial attempt by his government to extradite a Cuban exile accused of bombing an airliner. Chavez repeated a warning made just over a week ago that he would review relations with the United States, Venezuela's biggest oil buyer, if Washington did not agree to the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles.

Posada, a former CIA collaborator, is accused of plotting from Venezuela the 1976 downing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people. The 77-year-old anti-communist militant, who is a naturalized Venezuelan, escaped from a Venezuelan jail in 1985. Left-winger Chavez, a fierce critic of President Bush, expressed disappointment at the U.S. decision on Friday to reject Venezuela's request that Posada be arrested for extradition.

"They've given a sign, a negative one," Chavez said. "It's a worrying sign," he said during a cabinet meeting broadcast live on state television. Venezuela plans to deliver a formal extradition request for Posada to U.S. authorities on Tuesday. Chavez accused Bush, whom he mockingly referred to as "Mr Danger," of "sheltering a terrorist."

The U.S. government told Venezuela on Friday its request that Posada be arrested for extradition was "clearly inadequate," because it lacked supporting evidence. Chavez scoffed at this. "And what about those CIA and FBI documents that you have over there, Mr Danger? ... You know the truth much more than we do," he said. He was referring to declassified U.S. intelligence documents which cite informants as saying that Posada, who once worked with Venezuela's security services, had plotted to bomb a Cuban airliner with other Cuban exiles.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8644705&src=rss/topNews

[rodeodance]

1. so-he is not missing?

.......... "It's a worrying sign," he said during a cabinet meeting broadcast live on state television.

[AP]

3. It's amazing how a rumor started on a right wing web site got so much

currency at DU.

[rodeodance]

6. i do not know where it stated but there were links posted on DU also

[magellan]

2. So the self-proclaimed terrorist Posada is still free in America

He has lots of good company in our government.

[Cha]

4. Yea! He's

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH!

[cal04]

5. Chavez Appears on Television, Reassuring Venezuelans

Chavez Appears on Television, Reassuring Venezuelans He Is Fine
:-)


President Hugo Chavez appeared at a televised Cabinet meeting Monday and reassured worried supporters that he was fine and there was nothing to rumors that swirled around his disappearance from public view in recent days.

Chavez showed up for the meeting Monday afternoon, saying he had canceled his weekly radio and TV show Sunday and had gone to visit his 7-year-old daughter Rosines at her academy in the city of Barquisimeto in western Venezuela.

"Nothing has happened to me," Chavez said, laughing. "Rosines had kidnapped me." Turning his comments to hundreds of concerned supporters that had gathered outside the palace, Chavez said it was all just "rumors" that something had happened to him. He urged them to go home.

"The country is completely calm," he said. Chavez's supporters, who earlier had faced off with riot police along the fences of the presidential palace, saw him speaking on a television that was set up by the fence. Some said they were going home and drifted off, while others stayed and said they hoped Chavez would address the crowd.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBXLYNED9E.html

[bahrbearian]

7. Mr Danger? I love it ! ... be afraid , be very afraid!