Spaniard jailed for deaths of Cuban dissidents to be repatriated

The leader of ruling conservative Popular Party’s Nuevas Generaciones youth wing, Ángel Carromero, who was jailed in Cuba in four years for causing the deaths of two dissidents by dangerous driving, is to be transferred to Spain to serve out his sentence.

The road traffic accident in which the leader of Cuba’s Christian Liberation Movement, Oswaldo Payá and his assistant Harold Cepero were killed occurred on October 5 in Bayamo, Granma province. The two dissidents were in Carromero's rented vehicle when it crashed on a road outside the southern city.

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría announced that the Cabinet had authorized Carromero’s repatriation after striking a deal with Cuban authorities. Along with Carromero, another Spanish national serving time for drug trafficking is to be returned to Spain. The deputy PM gave only his surname: Vives.

Carromero had asked for permission to serve the remainder of his sentence in Spain on December 6. The government provided the necessary documentation and representatives of the Foreign and Justice ministries traveled to Havana to meet with the Cuban authorities. The Spanish ambassador to Cuba then signed the order to have Carromero transferred to Spain.