News Release, August 30, 2000

CLINTON'S DENIAL OF ALARCON VISA A SUBTERFUGE IN ORDER TO GRANT CASTRO A VISA?

Miami, FL - Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) asked President Bill Clinton today to deny Fidel Castro a visa to enter the United States if Castro seeks to visit New York next week. Since Clinton may very well allow
Castro to enter the U.S., Diaz-Balart asked Clinton, in the alternative, to order the Cuban dictator's arrest upon entering this country for the murder of American citizens and other crimes against humanity, in accordance with the Convention Against Torture. Following please find the text of Diaz-Balart's letter to Clinton:

"I learned yesterday that you denied the head of the Cuban dictator's puppet parliament, Ricardo Alarcon, a visa to travel to the United States for an international parliamentary conference. I commend you for denying that visa.

However, I have been informed that you may grant a visa to the Cuban dictator himself, the war criminal and murderer of Americans, Fidel Castro, to travel to the United States, among other things, to attend the "Millennium Summit" at the United Nations in New York City. I hereby request that you deny Fidel Castro's visa.

As you know, former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is currently awaiting trial in Chile for crimes committed during the time that Pinochet headed the Chilean government. In addition, former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was brought to justice and is currently serving a prison sentence in the United States for his crimes.

Pursuant to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ("Convention Against Torture"), which the United States ratified on October 20, 1994, I request that you instruct your Attorney General to take all necessary steps to arrest, prosecute and try Fidel Castro for crimes against humanity if he enters the United States.

Articles I, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII of the Convention Against Torture provide that torture offenses will be prosecuted by each State Party to the Convention.  Based on the doctrine of universal jurisdiction, each State Party is required by the treaty to establish its jurisdiction over torture offenses when the offender is present in any territory under its jurisdiction, or to extradite said criminals.

Fidel Castro has committed thousands of documented crimes of torture in Cuba.  Specifically, the Cuban dictator has perpetrated a systematic campaign of repression and terror, including murder and torture, against opponents of his regime, since he seized control of Cuba in January of 1959. On July 13, 1994, the Cuban dictator ordered the murder by forced drowning of more than 40 refugees who were seeking to flee Communist Cuba, including more than 20 children.  On February 24, 1996, the Cuban dictator acted as the principal in the premeditated murder of three U.S. citizens and a U.S. resident in the shoot-down of their unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters.  Thereafter, Fidel Castro assumed personal responsibility for the murders of the shoot-down victims: Armando Alejandre, Carlos Costa, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales. (Time Magazine interview with Reginald K. Brack, Jr., Joelle Attinger, and Cathy Booth, published on March 11, 1996.) It is as unacceptable as it is inexplicable that the Cuban dictator has not yet been charged in the United States for the murders of United States citizens on February 24, 1996.

I hereby request that you deny the Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, a visa to travel to the United States. However, if you decide to grant Castro a visa to enter the U.S., in order to uphold the force of the Convention Against Torture, Fidel Castro must be charged for his crimes against humanity.  I am hereby requesting that you instruct your Attorney General to take all necessary steps to arrest, prosecute, and try Fidel Castro should he set foot on U.S. soil."