MIAMI- Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, retired colonel of the Cuban Air Force, was welcomed in USA through the program of Humanitarian parole.
The former pilot of the Cuban military forces is considered a key official who served the Castro regime, reports the news portal Periódico Cuban.
González-Pardo’s service record includes his participation in the shooting down of two civilian aircraft belonging to the humanitarian organization on February 24, 1996. Brothers to the Rescue (HAR) in the Straits of Florida.
Twenty-eight years ago, two planes belonging to a humanitarian organization dedicated to rescuing rafters crossing the Florida Straits in flimsy boats were shot down by the Cuban Air Force in international airspace. The attack, carried out without warning, caused the deaths of four young men, three Cuban-Americans and one Cuban exile: Armando Alejandre Jr., 45; Carlos Costa, 29; Mario de la Peña, 24; and Pablo Morales, 29.
The aircraft were 18 and 30.5 miles off the Cuban coast when they were hit by missiles. A third plane managed to escape. This incident exacerbated diplomatic tensions between Cuba and the United States.
A third plane was also flying that day and managed to evade the attack after an aerial chase lasting more than an hour. This aircraft was carrying José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue, Arnaldo Iglesias and the couple Andrés and Silvia Iriondo.
“Recognition of Fidel Castro”
Luis Raúl González-Pardo was also involved in military operations on the African continent where the Cuban regime sent troops, as well as in operations in Latin America where Havana encouraged support for guerrillas and insurgent groups in several countries.
González Pardo’s career reached a climax when, during a mission, a MiG-29 he was piloting suffered a critical failure when the cockpit cover broke off in mid-flight, causing him injuries. Despite being ordered to eject to save his life, he disobeyed and managed to land the aircraft in a controlled manner. This act earned him the rank of colonel, a recognition that was awarded to him directly by Fidel Castro, the article in the aforementioned newspaper reports..
“Humanitarian Parole”
González-Pardo arrived in Jacksonville, Florida, where he resides with his daughter, while his wife awaits approval of a visa to join them.
Sources with information on the case have confirmed that the former soldier entered the United States approximately two months ago and is believed to be working in a bakery.
With a life marked by his loyalty to the Cuban regime, the pilot’s retirement has led him to take an unexpected direction. Despite having defended and worked in the service of the tyranny, his stay in the United States places him among the ex-military and former officials of the regime who seek refuge in the country that they once helped fight and considered an “enemy.”
In the case of González Pardo, his presence in the United States also represents a lack of respect for the families and survivors of the victims of the attack on the planes shot down in international waters, as confirmed by a thorough investigation carried out by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the result of which concluded that the two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft were shot down in international waters and that the Cuban authorities failed to comply with the established warning protocols.
This was acknowledged by Raúl Castro, who as head of the Armed Forces bears responsibility for the crime.
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