DATE=7/16/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-235595
TITLE=CUBA FOUNDATION / TIMES (L)
BYLINE=BILL RODGERS
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: AN INFLUENTIAL CUBAN EXILE GROUP IN THE UNITED STATES
SAYS IT WILL SUE THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR ARTICLES THIS WEEK
LINKING THE GROUP'S LATE FOUNDER TO AN ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVIST
INVOLVED IN TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. AS V-O-A'S BILL RODGERS
REPORTS, TOP OFFICIALS OF THE CUBAN-AMERICAN NATIONAL FOUNDATION
MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT A WASHINGTON NEWS CONFERENCE THURSDAY.
TEXT: TOP OFFICIALS OF THE CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL FOUNDATION
APPEARED AT A WELL-ATTENDED NEWS CONFERENCE THURSDAY TO DENOUNCE
THE NEW YORK TIMES, FOR WHAT THEY SAID ARE BIASED AND DEFAMATORY
ARTICLES. THE FRONT-PAGE STORIES, WHICH APPEARED SUNDAY AND
MONDAY, QUOTE AN ANTI-CASTRO CUBAN ACTIVIST AS SAYING HE RECEIVED
MONEY FROM THE GROUP'S LATE FOUNDER, JORGE MAS CANOSA, TO CARRY
OUT TERRORIST ACTIVITIES AGAINST CUBA.
THE ACTIVIST, LUIS POSADA CARRILES, SAID AMONG THOSE ACTIVITIES
WAS LAST YEAR'S BOMBING CAMPAIGN AGAINST HOTELS IN HAVANA
CATERING TO FOREIGN TOURISTS. AN ITALIAN TOURIST WAS KILLED IN
ONE OF THE EXPLOSIONS.
BUT OFFICIALS OF THE FOUNDATION, AN INFLUENTIAL ANTI-CASTRO
LOBBYING GROUP, DISMISS ALL THIS AS MALICIOUS LIES -- AND ACCUSED
THE NEW YORK TIMES OF TRYING TO UNDERMINE THE ORGANIZATION. AT
THE NEWS CONFERENCE, THEY PLAYED AN INTERVIEW VIDEOTAPED WITH MR.
POSADA CARRILES EARLIER THIS WEEK IN WHICH HE DENIED EVER MAKING
THE STATEMENTS PUBLISHED IN THE ARTICLES.
MR. MAS CANOSA'S SON, JORGE MAS SANTOS, TOLD REPORTERS THE
FOUNDATION AND THE MAS FAMILY WILL PURSUE ALL AVENUES, INCLUDING
A LAWSUIT, TO MAKE THE NEW YORK TIMES RECANT.
///MAS SANTOS ACT///
WE ARE GOING TO PURSUE ABSOLUTELY EVERY REMEDY AVAILABLE
TO US BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO PERMIT THE NEW YORK TIMES
OR ANYONE TO IMPUGN THE MEMORY AND LEGACY OF MY FATHER
WITH THESE FALSEHOODS.
///END ACT///
//OPT/ THE LAWYER REPRESENTING THE FOUNDATION, GEORGE FOWLER,
TOLD REPORTERS THURSDAY A LAWSUIT WILL BE FILED SOON, PROBABLY IN
MIAMI. BUT HE WARNED OTHER LAWSUITS MAY BE FILED ELSEWHERE.
///FOWLER ACT///
THE LIKELIHOOD IS WE'LL FILE IN MIAMI, BUT THERE MAY BE
OTHER VENUES THAT WE MAY SEEK BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DEFAMED BY THE ARTICLES -- NOT
JUST THE FOUNDATION BUT LEADERS OF THE ORGANIZATION
THROUGHOUT FEEL VERY MUCH AGGRIEVED BY THESE ARTICLES SO
THERE MAY BE SUITS FILED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
///END ACT///
MR. FOWLER SAID THE PLAINTIFFS WILL SEEK MONETARY DAMAGES FROM
THE NEWSPAPER. //END OPT///
IN THE MEANTIME, THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS ISSUED A LENGTHY
STATEMENT BACKING ITS STORIES AND THE TWO REPORTERS THAT WROTE
THEM. THE NEWSPAPER SAID THE PUBLISHED REMARKS OF MR. POSADA
CARRILES ARE CONTAINED IN 13 HOURS OF TAPED INTERVIEWS AND
CONVERSATIONS. IT SAID INFORMATION FROM MORE THAN 100 SOURCES
WERE USED TO WRITE THE ARTICLES, INCLUDING U-S INTELLIGENCE
DOCUMENTS DETAILING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MR. POSADA AND THE
LATE FOUNDATION LEADER, JORGE MAS CANOSA. (SIGNED)
NEB/WFR/JO
16-Jul-98 4:21 PM EDT (2021 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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