While Sarah Palin and other McCain campaign surrogates disingenuously try to create a false perception of companionship between Barack Obama and William Ayers, John McCain is brazenly and openly associating with Roberto Martin Perez, a known terrorist supporter. Perez who has been a strong and vocal advocate for the McCain campaign in Florida, recently introduced McCain at a rally and the two hugged, yet no one seems to be talking about it.
Perez is by any reasonable definition a supporter of terrorism if not an out and out terrorist himself. The McCain camp though benignly calls Perez a "political prisoner" fighting for Cuba's freedom, but predictably they never mention Perez's extensive terrorist sympathies and ties to the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF). CANF has long been known as a terrorist group and known terrorist Luis Posada Carriles admitted receiving funding from CANF when he detonated a series of bombs in 1997 which targeted hotels, restaurants and discos, killing an innocent tourist.
Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence against this organization is a declaration by the CANF of full support for all terrorist actions against Cuba. One of its many signers was none other than Roberto Martin Perez and now John McCain has used Martin Perez in the following Spanish-language radio ad running in South Florida.
"Cuba Prisoners" -- Radio :60
ROBERTO MARTIN PEREZ: This is Roberto Martin Perez, Cuban political prisoner for 28 years. The harsh reality is that millions of my fellow Cuban citizens are prisoners in their own country. Despite this, our spirit remains resilient; and John McCain knows that Raul Castro is like his brother, a man that does almost anything to stay in power, violating the fundamental rights of Cubans.
Now, he allows them to use cell phones and computers, but at the same time, censors the right to speak. While some support a dialogue with Raul Castro, John McCain believes we should support the courageous men and women who continue to stand up for freedom in Cuba. Rather than resume relations with Raul Castro, John McCain wants first and foremost for all political prisoners to be released. As someone who has survived the harsh conditions of the Vietnamese prisons, John McCain knows that freedom in Cuba won't be achieved with concessions to dictatorships.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.
Roberto Martin Perez is also lobbying hard for the release of fellow Cuban exile terrorist Eduardo Arocena who is in prison for carrying out terrorist attacks in the United States. Arocena was the founder of a terrorist organization called Omega 7 who are responsible for the murder of Orlando Letelier and Cuban diplomat Felix Rodriguez. They set off bombs in New York City, New Jersey and elsewhere in the United States and during his trial, Arocena said he would happily kill American civilians if it furthered his cause. John McCain, has promised Cuban exiles in South Florida that he will release Arocena if he is elected.
Canadian journalist Jean-Guy Allard, describes some of Roberto Martin Perez Rodriguez's terrorist activities as follows:
...early in his life, ‘Macho’ (his nickname) Martin Perez joined the Batista police and, for his special merits, that is, his beating of the prisoners in the last months of the bloody regime, he earned the rank of Sergeant.
...in 1989 he joined the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) established by the CIA under Ronald Reagan.
He would very soon be leading the paramilitary committee created by this organization which ensures the financing, among others, of the terrorist group Alpha 66 and other extremist groups acting against Cuba.
...Martin Perez Rodriguez took part in the arrangement of a series of failed attempts on the life the President of Cuba during various Ibero American Summits.
In 1994, on the occasion of Fidel’s attendance to the 4th Summit, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia... he purchased a 50 mm Barret gun and explosives which were transferred to Colombia from Miami...by plane!
In 1997, at Margarita Island, Venezuela, on the occasion of the 7th Ibero American Summit of Heads of Sate and Government, Posada mounted another conspiracy with direct support from Martin Perez Rodriguez and other leaders of CANF..."
...he signed the Declaration of support for terrorism against Cuba published by the Foundation on August 11th...Roberto Martin Perez, Feliciano Foyo and Horacio Garcia are some of the people Posada publicly named as the ‘financiers’ of his terrorist actions during his interview with the New York Times in 1997.
...he sponsored in Miami an exhibition of paintings by [Orlando] Bosch and Posada [Carriles], the two masterminds of the sabotage against the Cuban civilian plane, in 1976, where 73 people were killed.
"...his unfailing friendship with Guillermo Novo Sampol, the murderer of Chilean leader Orlando Letelier is well known...
"The Republican candidate should know that his 73-year-old protégé was the first to assert that on the day of his longed for victory over the Cuban Revolution he would drive a bulldozer from the Cabo San Antonio to the Punta de Maisi crushing the island population guilty of any links with the Revolution.
"...on another occasion, asked about the risk of killing innocents in an attempt on Cuban leaders he said that he didn’t care if ‘the Pope died’."
Of course the Obama camp has pragmatically decided to let the sleeping Cuban exile population of South Florida lay quietly. But the hypocrisy coming from the McCain campaign should be exposed, if not by Obama, by his supporters.