Ex-president proud of pardoning terrorist suspects

Within days of controversial  statements  in support of President Ricards Martinelli, former president of Mireya Moscoso, stepped into another political minefield on Tuesday January 17.

The Panamenista member who broke ranks with her party’s leader  Juan Carlos Varela,  when on CNN she voiced support for Martinelli’s style of ruling, confirmed on Wednesday that  she met with Luis Posada Carriles and other anti-Castro Cubans linked to terrorism in  Miami, Florida on Tuesday.

Moscoso created shock waves in Panama when, in August 2004, she pardoned Posada Carriles, and others  accused of blowing up a plane loaded with Cuban athletes and who had been convicted of an assination attempt.

On Tuesday she appeared on a program of   and met with Cariles, Santiago Alvarez, Gaspar Jimenez Escobedo and Pedro Remon Pérez, who are related to terrorist groups settled down in the US according to Prensa Latina . 

Moscoso defended herpardon to, Posada Carriles, Escobedo, Remon and Guillermo Novo Sampol Perez. "I am proud I let them out of jail”

The group she pardoned people were incarcerated in Panama, convicted of organizing an assassination attempt against then Cuban President Fidel Castro, when he participated in the Tenth Ibero-American Summit in November 2000 in Panama. At the time of the pardon it was reported that she went to the airport to see them off.

 In an interview with La Prensa , the ex-president (1999-2004) reiterated the statement she made on the  program: “I do not regret having pardoned them   days after the Second Court upheld the ruling of the Fifth Criminal Court against anti-Castro Cubans Posada Carriles, Jiménez Escobedo, Novo Sampol, Remon Perez, Cesar Matamoros, and the Panamanian José Hurtado, accused of crimes against collective security after allegedly plotting to assassinate Castro in 2000.

Moscoso's meeting with Castro has been questioned.  with Cuban journalist Edmundo Garcia, a Miami resident, said that it was "shameful" to hear the former  Panamanian president sharing on air, laughs and accolades were with  terrorists and their admirers. "It was offensive and a roistering party atmosphere was created," Garcia said, according to Prensa Latina . 

The digital site Cubadebate headed its story  "Former President of Panama Mireya Moscoso meets with terrorists in Miami." 

The Venezuelan News Agency  reported that Moscoso met in Miami with "characters linked to international terrorism."