DATE=2/25/96
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-193271
TITLE=CUBA SHOOTDOWN/SUNDAY (L)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=M IAMI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

*INTRO: THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT ON SUNDAY BROKE ITS SILENCE OVER THE
SHOOTDOWN OF TWO SMALL PLANES OFF THE COAST OF CUBA ON SATURDAY. 
VOA'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS FROM OUR MIAMI BUREAU, CUBA SAYS THE TWO
PLANES HAD PREVIOUSLY ENTERED CUBAN AIRSPACE EARLIER SATURDAY AND
HAD BEEN WARNED NOT TO TRY A SECOND ATTEMPT.  

TEXT:  A STATEMENT RELEASED BY CUBA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY ON SUNDAY 
REGRETTED THE LOSS OF LIFE BUT SAID THE PLANES WERE PIRATE 
AIRCRAFT WHICH ENTERED CUBAN AIRSPACE TWICE ON SATURDAY.  THE 
STATEMENT WHICH WAS CARRIED BY CUBA'S OFFICIAL PRENSA LATINA NEWS
AGENCY SAYS AFTER AN INITIAL FLIGHT INTO CUBAN AIRPSACE ON 
SATURDAY THE PLANES RETURNED SEVERAL HOURS LATER.  THE STATEMENT 
SAYS HAVANA'S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WARNED ONE OF THE TWO PLANES A 
SECOND TIME BUT THE PILOT IGNORED THE WARNING.  

ACCORDING TO CUBAN AUTHORITIES THE TWO PLANES WERE SHOT DOWN 
INSIDE  CUBAN AIRSPACE ABOUT NINE KILOMETERS OFF THE NORTH COAST 
OF THE  ISLAND. THE CUBAN-GOVERNMENT STATEMENT SAYS A THIRD PLANE
BELONGING  TO THE EXILE GROUP, BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE REMAINED 
JUST OUTSIDE CUBA'S TERRITORIAL LIMIT.

JOSE BASULTO THE FOUNDER OF BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE WHICH FOR THE 
PAST  FOUR YEARS HAS SEARCHED THE WATERS OF THE FLORIDA STRAITS 
FOR CUBAN RAFTERS WAS FLYING THE THIRD PLANE SATURDAY. ON HIS 
RETURN TO MIAMI HE INSISTED ALL THREE PLANES WERE OVER 
INTERNATIONAL WATERS. 

                       //  INSERT BASULTO ACTUALITY //

         ...IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS.  WE WERE ALL IN 
         INTERNATIONAL WATERS.  

                              //  END ACTUALITY //

THE U.S. COAST GUARD ON SUNDAY CONTINUED SEARCHING FOR THE FOUR  
PASSENGERS OF THE DOWNED PLANES.  THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT HAS 
GRANTED  THE COAST GUARD PERMISSION TO ENTER ITS WATERS TO 
CONDUCT SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS.   

IN JANUARY, SEVERAL PLANES BELONGING TO BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE 
FLEW OVER HAVANA, DROPPING LEAFLETS URGING CUBANS TO RESIST FIDEL
CASTRO'S GOVERNMENT.  THAT ACTION PROMPTED A WARNING FROM CUBAN 
AUTHORITIES THAT ANY FUTURE FLIGHTS OVER CUBAN TERRITORY WOULD BE
SHOT DOWN. 

// BEGIN OPT // SATURDAY'S INCIDENT OCCURED ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF
EL GRITTO DE BAIRE, THE DATE MARKING THE BEGINNING OF CUBA'S 
SECOND WAR OF INDEPENDENCE IN 1895.

SATURDAY WAS ALSO THE DATE SET FOR A CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN 
HAVANA BY A COALITION OF DISSIDENT GROUPS KNOWN AS CONCILIO 
CUBANO. THE  CUBAN GOVERNMENT HOWEVER WOULD NOT ALLOW THE 
CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE AND ARRESTED ABOUT FIFTY MEMBERS OF THE 
CONCILIO LAST WEEK. // END OPT //

IN MIAMI CUBAN-AMERICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE REACTED STRONGLY
TO  SATURDAY'S SHOOTDOWN.  CONGRESSMAN LINCOLN-DIAZ BALART CALLED
ON THE  INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO IMPOSE AN ECONOMIC EMBARGO ON 
CUBA SIMILAR  TO ONE IMPOSED ON HAITI IN 1994.  HIS REPUBLICAN 
COLLEAGUE, ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN URGED THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION 
TO TAKE FIRM ACTION. 

                        // INSERT ROS-LEHTENINE ACTUALITY //

         I THINK THIS IS CLEARLY AN ACT OF AGGRESSION.  IT IS UP 
         TO THE  PRESIDENT AS COMMANDER AND CHIEF TO DECIDE WHAT 
         HE IS GOING TO DO ABOUT FOUR INNOCENT CITIZENS BEING 
         SHOT DOWN IN COLD BLOOD.  

                                 //  END ACTUALITY //

MEANWHILE MEMBERS OF MIAMI'S CUBAN-EXILE COMMUNITY SAY THEY ARE  
PLANNING LARGE DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS TO PROTEST 
SATURDAY'S INCIDENT.  (SIGNED)

  NEB/JLT/SD

25-Feb-96 1:02 PM EST (1802 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.