3 US Fugitives That Cuba Has Granted Political Asylum

3 US Fugitives That Cuba Has Granted Political Asylum
By Zach Ewell | Friday, 28 Aug 2015 02:27 PM


While the U.S. and Cuba are now entering a new age of friendship, a
large number of American fugitives continue to live in Cuba claiming
political asylum.

According to Fox News, there are about 70 escaped U.S. fugitives
currently living in Cuba, but thawed relations between the two nations
could threaten the flight of the estimated 70 American fugitives if Cuba
decides to end political asylum for those individuals.

So far Cuba has been reluctant to give up these fugitives, citing its
sovereignty to harbor anyone it deems worthy of political asylum. Prior
to any negotiations with the U.S., Josefina Vidal, director general for
the U.S. division in Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drew a line in
the sand.

"We've explained to the U.S. government in the past that there are some
people living in Cuba to whom Cuba has legitimately granted political
asylum," Vidal told The Associated Press.

Here are three most notable American fugitives that have fled from Cuba
and were granted political asylum from the U.S.

1. Charlie Hill

Hill is wanted in connection to the 1971 murder of New Mexico trooper
Robert Rosenbloom, who discovered Hill and two other men transporting
arms and explosives.

The three members of the Republic of New Afrika movement escaped to Cuba
by hijacking a plane in Albuquerque following the incident. Hill is only
surviving of the trio, according to New York magazine.

2. William "Guillermo" Morales

Guillermo Morales was part of a militant Puerto Rican separatist
movement and lost his fingers when a bomb he planted at a New York
military installation blew up, according to the Post. Fuerzas Armadas de
Liberacion Nacional, the group to which Morales was connected, took
credit for more than 130 bombings in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, according
to Fox News Latino.

Morales escaped from a hospital and 89 years in prison while under
police custody. Morales was later apprehended in Mexico, but shipped to
Cuba rather than be extradited him to the U.S.

3. Joanne Chesimard (Assata Shakur)

In 2013, the FBI placed Chesimard on its "Most Wanted Terrorists" list,
the first woman ever to merit that distinction.

Often considered the most infamous American convict to be given
political asylum, Chesimard was convicted of murder and six assault
charges following a deadly car shootout with New Jersey troopers Werner
Foerster and James Harper during a traffic stop. She was sentenced to
life in prison in 1977, but escaped from prison in 1979 with the help of
her friends with the Black Liberation Army.

The state of New Jersey has said it will match the FBI's bounty,
doubling the reward to $2M for information leading to her arrest,
according to Philly.com.

Chesimard is more famously known under the name of Assata Shakur.

Source: 3 US Fugitives That Cuba Has Granted Political Asylum -
http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/us-cuba-fugitives-political-asylum/2015/08/28/id/672449/