Res No 090-96-9844s
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RESOLUTION NO. 90 -96 -9844
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, STRONGLY CONDEMING
DENOUNCING THE ACTIONS BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT
THE
AND
IN
FIRING UPON AND DOWNING UNARMED AMERICAN CIVILIAN PLANS
IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS RESULTING IN THE DEATHS OF FOUR
INNOCENT PERSONS ON A HUMANITARIAN MISSION IN THE
STRAITS OF FLORIDA, CALLING FOR THEIR ARREST AND TRIAL
BY AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL AS CRIMINALS.
WHEREAS, on the afternoon of Saturday, February 24, 1996,
jet fighters from the island of Cuba shot down two unarmed
Cessnas belonging to Brothers To The Rescue, a humanitarian
organization whose search and rescue missions in the Straits of
Florida have saved the lives of many thousands of rafters fleeing
the communist tyranny of the Castro government; and
WHEREAS, four dedicated individuals, Carlos Costa, a U.S.
citizen, native Miamian and three year veteran of Brothers To The
Rescue; Mario$De La Pena, a U.S. citizen, born in New Jersey and
raised in South Miami; Armando Alejandre, Jr., a U.S. citizen,
decorated Viet Nam Veteran. husband and father: Pablo Morales, a
rafter saved by
Brothers To The Rescue
rescue mission in appreciation of the
their lives flying a mission to save
Cuban MIGS incinerated their aircraft i
and
WHEREAS, terrorist incidents by
dictatorship in international waters
must not be allowed to happen and
accepted international law, and
F,
who chose to join
saving of his
the
life, lost
lives when rockets from
n midair without warning;
a hostile and tyrannical
against unarmed civilians
are a direct violation of
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission of the City of South
Miami feel strongly that these extreme actions by the Cuban MIG
fighter pilots were premeditated acts of cold blooded murder,
that these pilots knew full well that the Cessnas were in
international waters when they launched the missiles that took
four innocent American lives and destroyed two planes belonging
to American citizens and that they should be charged with crimes
of war against the United States government.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA:
MAYOR AND CITY
Section 1. We condemn and denounce the actions of the
two Cuban MIG fighter pilots in their murderous attack upon and
destruction of unarmed United States civilian rescue aircraft in
international waters resulting in the murder of four innocent
United States residents on a humanitarian mission to save the
k-11
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM:
CITY ATTORNEY
COMMISSION VOTE: 3-
Mayor Cunningham:
Vice Mayor Robaina:
Commissi«-
« « Bethel:
Commissioner Young:
Not present
Yea
Yea
Nay
Yea
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CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
6130 Sunset Drive, South Miami, FL 33143
TO: Mayor and Commission DATE: May 1, 1996
FR
f
RE:
Agenda Item,
Comm
ission Mtg. 05/07/96
7 Condemnation of actions by
Cuban Government
This item is placed on the agenda at the request of Vice Mayor Julio Robaina. It was
deferred for revisions at a previous Commission meeting. Those revisions being made,
it is again placed on the agenda for approval by the Commission.
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