Saturday, February 24, 2018

Brothers to the Rescue shoot down 22 years later: Memory, calling for Justice, and taking action

"'Sir, I say that justice is truth in action. Truth should animate an opposition, and I hope it does animate this opposition." - Benjamin Disraeli, speech in the House of Commons (2 February 1851).

Artists rendering of the attack on February 24, 1996

 22 years ago on Saturday, February 24, 1996 at 3:21 pm and 3:27 pm in international airspace two civilian aircraft belonging to the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue were destroyed by air-to-air missiles fired by a Cuban MiG-29 killing Armando Alejandre Jr. (age 45), Carlos Alberto Costa (29), Mario Manuel de la Peña (24), and Pablo Morales (29). Author Matt Lawrence translated and subtitled the audio of the Cuban MiG pilots who hunted and destroyed the two planes. The planes had been engaged in a search and rescue mission for Cuban rafters in the Florida Straits. Three planes set out only one returned.



Cuban dictator, then General, Raul Castro ordered the shoot down of the two planes. A fact sheet prepared earlier this month provides additional information on the months long Castro regime conspiracy to destroy Brothers to the Rescue, and murder their pilots in an act of state terrorism. It also provides a breakdown of the legal actions and decisions that followed afterwards.


Yesterday, February 23, 2018 JusticeCuba, an international commission composed of legal, civic, and political leaders from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Syria, Venezuela, Spain, Peru, China, Uruguay,and Costa Rica sent a letter to the White House calling on the President to simply follow what is in U.S. law and that is to bring the agents of the Castro Regime responsible for the Brothers to the Rescue shoot down to an international tribunal to be held accountable for this crime.

Both planes were shot down in international airspace (ICAO)

Please join me today from 3:21pm to 3:27pm wherever you are for a moment of silence at the time when the planes were attacked and shot down murdering Armando, Carlos, Marion, and Pablo. On Monday, February 26, 2018 at Florida International University friends and family will gather at the main fountain between the library and the Charles Perry building at 3:15pm until 3:27pm in a silent vigil.

Justice is truth in action. Remembering, sharing the facts with others, and continuing to demand accountability is truth in action which is justice. Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian independence leader who practiced non-violence understood that "full effort is full victory." Please join us in this effort.

Please share the videos in this blog entry over your social media. Below one of the four survivors of the plane, Jose Basulto, explains what happened and the context.

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