By Luis Chirino

Havana, Jan 15 (RHC)—Panama´s Second Court confirmed the sentence ruled against Luis Posada Carriles, and his partners in crime Gaspar Jimenez, Guillermo Novo, Pedro Remon, Cesar Matamoros and Panamanian Jose Hurtado for crimes against collective safety.

The six men designed and prepared a life attempt against Cuban leader Fidel Castro in 2000 that they would execute at the theater of the University of Panama, where Fidel Castro was scheduled to address hundreds of people that would have been the fatal victims of the terrorist plan.

The court ruling on Saturday gave Posada and Jimenez eight prison years; Novo Sampol, Remon and Matamoros, seven years, and Hurtado four years.

Posada Carriles, Jimenez, Novo and Remon were arrested following the denunciation of the Cuban leader at the Ibero-American Summit that year, but they were pardoned in a dark procedure in 2004 by then President Mireya Moscoso before concluding her presidential term.

However, the acquittals were declared unconstitutional in 2008 by Panama´s Supreme Court.