Reaction to Posada's Release

Reaction to Luis Posada Carriles' release after a Texas judge dismissed the government's case against him is sure to be hot and heavy.

My reaction to this is somewhat mixed. I'm happy that the U.S. decided to handle Posada without caving in to pressure from some to extradite him to Cuba or Venezuela. The judge made the call, and her ruling should be accept by everyone. Some will like it, some won't. As my older relatives use to say,

"Dis ees a free contri".

My personal feeling on Posada is that he is, at very best, a shady character. At worst? Well, you know, the "t" word we commonly use towards certain Middle East fanatics. Of course, he's never been convicted of terrorist charges, so I won't fall into the trap that many normally law-respecting individuals have fallen into by demanding Posada's head without due process.

In the end, I'm quite ambivalent. Honestly, I don't care whether he's guilty or not.

That may sound a bit harsh, but think of it this way: looking at the big picture, Posada represents the past, the days when the FBI and CIA actively sought castro's assassination. We don't live in that era any longer. Posada's case means absolutely nothing in the fight against castro and for Cuba's freedom.

If some people want to mix Posada with TODAY'S struggle, then fine. But I don't think a 79-year-old individual with a riddled past is something that our community should rally around or treat as a victory against castro. Nothing is further from the truth.