October 15, 2005

Original Article (Spanish)

The Aftermath of the Blast that Killed Danilo Anderson in November 2002.

"The CIA advised, with all of its experience, the method for carrying out this terrorist act," said Attorney General of the Republic, Isaiah Rodriguez, in regard to the participation of the Central Intelligence Agency in the murder of Judge Danilo Anderson.

Judge Danilo Anderson

[Editor's Note: The Venezuelan authorities believe Anderson was killed by two charges of C4 plastic explosive fixed to his car and detonated remotely, apparently by cell phone].

Once again, he said that the criminal attack, committed on the 18th of November, 2004, was part of a conspiracy to carry out two assassinations: one against himself and another against President Hugo Chávez, but the original plan was never carried out because the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia and the CIA handlers warned of the risks such a plan involved.

"They then turned their attention to a person involved with the investigation that had less security and so was more vulnerable, and that person was [Judge] Danilo Anderson. For this reason, the CIA is involved with the death of Anderson," insisted Attorney General Rodriguez.

To be precise, the Attorney General said that the participation of the CIA consisted of the presence of its agents at meetings in Panama and Miami held to plan Anderson's murder, and so the Justice Ministry had no jurisdiction to take action. The Attorney General says that, in any case, the participation of the CIA and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia demonstrate that the death of Anderson resulted from an act of international terrorism.

Venezuelan Attorney General Isaiah Rodriguez

[Editor's Note: The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia is an umbrella group of  right-wing paramilitary organizations created to protect the economic interests of landowners and to combat left-wing FARC and ELN insurgents in Colombia].

In regard to this, the Attorney General exhorted the Government of the United States to commit itself in the combat of transnational criminals: "We have made requests for help to the ambassador of the United States, and have not received a proper reply. We had hoped to receive technical support on this case.”

Rodriguez is confident that on November 4th, a public trial under magistrate number 20, Luis Goatherd, will begin hearing oral arguments on the criminal responsibility of former police officials Juan Bautista, and Otoniel and Rolando Guevara, as key participants in Anderson's death. From his point of view, Rodriguez said that there is no doubt that these three prisoners, next to Pedro Lander and Johan Pena, who are now in the United States, are directly implicated in the crime.

The Attorney General reiterated that authorities have identified two main authors of the crime, who were present at meetings in Panama, Miami and Maracaibo [Venezuela] to plan the murder. Nevertheless, it is thought that other people contributed financially or logistically to the commission of the crime. The identities of these people are known orally, and only to those working on the case in the Attorney General's office.

"I have no doubt that these witnesses will be at the trial and will state, with great conviction, with responsibility and in tedious detail, everything they know about the masterminds," remarked Rodriguez, who reminded listeners that the witnesses and their families had been threatened with attack, and that the Justice Ministry had been offering them protection for several months.