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Monday, February 23, 2015

Silent Vigil for Justice for Shootdown Victims

For Justice

Family members, Students and University Community
To Hold Silent Vigil for Shootdown Victims 


Non-Violent protest at FIU on eve of President Obama’s town hall meeting  

Family members, students and members of the university community will be holding a silent vigil for justice for the four victims of the February 24, 1996 shoot down. The vigil will take place at the main fountain at Florida International University located between the Charles E. Perry Bldg. (Primera Casa) and the Green Library on February 24, Tuesday from 3:21pm to 3:27pm the times both planes were shot down. Family members and students will be there beginning at 3:00pm.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015 will mark 19 years since Fidel and Raul Castro ordered Cuban MiGs to hunt and shoot down two Brothers to the Rescue planes that at the time were in international airspace killing Armando Alejandre Jr. (45 years old), Carlos Alberto Costa (29), Mario Manuel de la Peña (24), and Pablo Morales (29). A thorough international investigation carried out by the Inter-American Commission on the merits made public in 1999 concluded: that the Castro regime was legally responsible for their murders and for the lack of justice.

Successful civil lawsuits have been brought against the Castro regime by the families of the victims, but criminal prosecutions of those responsible, save one case, have not been carried out. On December 12, 2001 Gerardo Hernandez, a Cuban spy ,was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder for his role in providing information that led to the Brothers to the Rescue shoot down. Unfortunately, President Barack Obama on December 17, 2014 commuted his life sentence and returned Mr. Hernandez to Cuba. Families have expressed feeling misled by the United States government.

The vigil has been carried out annually since 1996 by members of the Free Cuba Foundation, a student movement founded at FIU in 1993. http://freecubafoundation.blogspot.com/

WHO:      Family members of four men killed on February 24, 1996 
                FIU students
                Members of the University Community


WHERE: Main Fountain at Florida International University
               Located between the Green Library and Charles E. Perry bldg
              11200 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199


WHAT:   Silent vigil for justice for the victims of the February 24, 1996 shoot down

WHEN:  Tuesday, February 24 gathering at 3pm event starts at 3:21pm sharp






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