News

DATE=7/13/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-235404 TITLE= CUBAN EXILE DENIAL (L) BYLINE= JIM TEEPLE DATELINE= MIAMI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: CONTROVERSY IS GROWING OVER TWO REPORTS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES NEWSPAPER WHICH SAY AN INFLUENTIAL CUBAN-EXILE ORGANIZATION BASED IN THE UNITED STATES FINANCED A SERIES OF BOMBINGS LAST YEAR IN CUBA. VOA'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS FROM OUR MIAMI BUREAU, A CUBAN-EXILE QUOTED BY THE NEWSPAPER NOW SAYS HIS REPORTED INTERVIEW IS COMPLETELY FALSE. TEXT: LUIS POSADA-CARRILES IS A LONGTIME ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVIST WHO HAS BEEN LINKED TO A SERIES OF BOMBINGS LAST YEAR IN CUBA. MR. POSADA-CARRILES WHO LIVES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WAS QUOTED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES AS SAYING TOP OFFICIALS OF THE CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL FOUNDATION, INCLUDING ITS LATE CHAIRMAN JORGE MAS CANOSA, FINANCED THE BOMBINGS. THE FOUNDATION STRONGLY DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS AND LATE MONDAY, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SPANISH LANGUAGE NETWORK UNIVISION, SO DID MR. POSADA-CARRILES. // INSERT SPANISH ACTUALITY // MR. POSADA-CARRILES SAYS THE FOUNDATION'S LATE CHAIRMAN JORGE MAS CANOSA NEVER SENT HIM ANY MONEY AND THAT ALL OF HIS ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES WERE UNDERTAKEN INDEPENDENTLY. FOR ITS PART THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS IT STANDS BY ITS REPORTS AND SAYS THAT ITS INTERVIEWS WITH LUIS POSADA-CARRILES WERE TAPED. ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY THE PAPER RAN TWO LENGTHY ARTICLES QUOTING MR. POSADA-CARRILES AS SAYING HE RECEIVED MORE THAN TW0-HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM JORGE MAS CANOSA AND THAT HE USED PART OF THE MONEY TO RECRUIT A SALVADORAN MERCENARY, WHO HAS SINCE BEEN ARRESTED BY CUBAN AUTHORITIES, TO PLANT BOMBS AT SEVERAL HOTELS IN HAVANA. AN ITALIAN VISITING THE ISLAND WAS KILLED IN ONE OF THE ATTACKS WHICH CUBAN AUTHORITIES QUICKLY BLAMED ON MIAMI-BASED EXILES INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDATION. // REST OPT // SEVERAL FOUNDATION MEMBERS INCLUDING ITS CURRENT PRESIDENT HAVE BEEN LINKED BY U-S LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES TO A SEPARATE ALLEGED PLOT TO KILL FIDEL CASTRO AT A LATIN AMERICAN SUMMIT IN VENEZUELA LAST YEAR. FOUNDATION MEMBERS, HOWEVER, STRONGLY DENY ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE ALLEGED PLOT AND SAY THEIR ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO PEACEFUL CHANGE IN CUBA. (SIGNED) NEB/JLT/PLM 13-Jul-98 8:15 PM EDT (0015 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .