The Stabroek News (Guyana): Caricom and Cuba are calling on the US government to extradite to Venezuela, Luis Posada Carriles, one of the suspected perpetrators of the bombing of a Cubana Airline off the coast of Barbados, which killed 73 nationals of Cuba, Barbados and Guyana in October, 1976.

The call was made in a statement issued at the end of the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government of Caricom and Cuba held in Bridgetown, Barbados yesterday.

Posada, who was widely reported as having been the mastermind behind the Cubana airline tragedy, is now in custody in the United States.

The Heads urged the US to consider favorably Venezuela's request to extradite Posada to ensure that he was brought to justice on charges of terrorism and that the US does so in accordance with its obligations under international law and its national legislation.

Describing terrorism as abhorrent to all humanity; a threat to peace and the establishment and maintenance of a secure environment; diverts scarce resources away from development efforts; and was a despicable act of violence against the person and impedes human development, they urged all states which have not yet done so, to become parties to the international conventions and agreements relating to terrorism.

They urged them, too, to comply with the obligations mandated, as well as with international commitments which require states to quickly and efficiently try and sentence the perpetrators of, and accomplices to terrorist acts, particularly, those committed against civilian, cargo or passenger means of transportation, against internationally protected persons, tourist facilities or other civilian facilities.

They reaffirmed their commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, with strict adherence to international law and international standards of protection of human rights, and to reinforce their national laws to promote active and efficient international cooperation to prevent and eliminate this scourge.

They also affirmed their commitment not to assist or harbor perpetrators and promoters of, or participants in terrorist activities. Likewise, they repudiate any action, which assists or supports perpetrators and promoters of, or participants in terrorist activities.

They reaffirmed, too, the need to ensure that those who commit acts of terrorism do not go unpunished and urged all states to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism, especially with those States in whose territory or against whose citizens acts of terrorism were committed;

They reaffirmed that those who support or facilitate the financing, planning, preparation or the commission of acts of terrorism or the provision of safe haven to terrorists or who participate or attempt to participate in terrorist acts, should be identified, arrested, denied safe haven, and brought to justice. In this regard, they urged all states to give prompt consideration to all requests for extradition of such persons.

They also urged all states to ensure that claims to refugee, asylum status and provisions of international human rights instruments were not misused in order to grant immunity to the perpetrators, organizers or sponsors of acts of terrorism or to avoid their extradition. In like manner, political motives should not be recognized as a reason to deny the extradition requests for alleged terrorists.

At the end of yesterday's summit, the Heads also renewed their commitment to their diplomatic, economic and friendly relationship in what is now called the 'Declaration of Bridgetown.'

The current declaration follows that of the Havana Declaration, which was adopted on December 8, 2002 on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the independent states of Caricom and Cuba who also signed a cultural cooperation agreement.

Caricom, Cuba urge extradition of Cubana 'bomber' to Caracas