海角大神

The Spanish government is brushing off pressure to investigate the death of prominent Cuban dissident Oswaldo Pay谩, in a case that has the elements of a high-stakes spy thriller 鈥� including a car crash, a phantom vehicle, and a young and erratic driver who just happens to be a Spanish politician in the ruling party.

Mr. Pay谩, who won numerous awards for his peaceful struggle for democracy in Cuba, including one from the European Parliament, and another dissident, Harold Cepero, died last July when the car they were in hit a tree in Cuba. Suspicions over the accident surfaced immediately, but they subsided following a confession by the Spanish driver and court proceedings that were certified by Spain.

But calls for an independent investigation have been mounting since the driver, Angel Carromero, a leader in the youth movement of Spain鈥檚 ruling Popular Party, recanted and offered a new and contradictory version earlier this month, claiming that a Cuban government car had intentionally caused the accident by driving him off the road.

If proven, Madrid would be complicit in covering up a plot to assassinate Pay谩, a serious implication that most here consider preposterous, but would carry consequences among PP supporters who support Cuba鈥檚 dissidents, as well as with the US, Latin American, and European partners.

Pay谩鈥檚 family said Monday they will take their case to Spain鈥檚 highest court. On Tuesday, Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson asked the United Nations to investigate Pay谩鈥檚 death, endorsing a formal request made last week by Pay谩's daughter, Rosa Mar铆a Pay谩. 鈥淚t鈥檚 surprising that [the Spanish government] is giving credibility to Cuban justice,鈥� she said Monday during a TV talk show.

Mr. Carromero has become a hero and is described as 鈥渂rave鈥� in Cuba鈥檚 dissident and anti-Castro groups in Spain, the US, and of course Cuba. The Washington Post in an editorial also called for an independent investigation, a message echoed throughout Cuban-American communities, as well as by lobby groups in Washington. The US Senate had already passed a resolution calling on Cuba to allow an independent investigation.

But with the exception of Spain鈥檚 far right, few in Spain are giving credibility to Carromero鈥檚 new version, suggesting instead that he is fabricating the story to further his political ambitions.

And should the government support Carromero鈥檚 new version, Spain would endanger the transfer of other Spaniards in Cuba who also hope to benefit from existing bilateral treaties.

Who鈥檚 lying?

Carromero was convicted in October of involuntary manslaughter by a Cuban court, and both Carromero and the Spanish embassy certified then that the proceedings were transparent. The government has strongly upheld the original Cuban verdict, distancing itself from Carromero鈥檚 change of heart, and basically dared him to prove his version.

Carromero, whose license was revoked last year by Spanish authorities after he accumulated more than 45 tickets in a year 鈥� including three for speeding and reckless driving 鈥� was handed over to Spanish custody under a bilateral agreement in December. Soon thereafter he was released under court supervision to serve the remainder of his four-year sentence.

Two weeks ago, Carromero said in an interview with the Washington Post that a car with official Cuban plates had rammed him off the road, and that he was then drugged and intimidated into confessing that he was responsible for the accident.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jos茅 Manuel Garc铆a-Margallo, who was personally involved in negotiations to gain the release of Carromero, has said the government 鈥渉as no evidence that things didn鈥檛 happen the way that Mr. Carromero said during the trial, as admitted in the memorandum of understanding鈥� to gain his transfer to Spain. 鈥淚f he has any evidence, he should go to a tribunal.鈥�

The fourth occupant of the crashed car, Jens Aron Modig, a Swedish politician from the conservative 海角大神 Democratic Party, was asleep at the time and says he doesn鈥檛 remember the accident.

Cuba is not likely to accept an independent inquiry, nor will Spain, unless a court finds enough evidence to validate Carromero鈥檚 new version. And a UN investigation is also unlikely because it would raise serious questions about Spain鈥檚 handling and could risk a diplomatic spat.

The question thus remains: Was Pay谩 killed by the Cuban government?