The Cuban military pilot, Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, allegedly involved in the shootdown of two planes belonging to Brothers to the Rescue, is reportedly residing in the United States thanks to the humanitarian parole program implemented by President Joe Biden's administration.
A source close to the former military officer, who requested anonymity, confirmed to the Cuban YouTuber Darwin Santana that González-Pardo has been in the U.S. for approximately two months. Florida media echoed the influencer's broadcast on his channel, El Mundo de Darwin.
Retired with the rank of colonel, González-Pardo was part of the Anti-Air Defense and Revolutionary Air Force (DAAFAR) and participated in the 1996 shootdown of the Brothers to the Rescue planes, an incident that resulted in the deaths of Cuban-American pilots Mario Manuel de la Peña (24), Armando Alejandre (45), Carlos Costa (29), and Cuban resident Pablo Morales (29).
Controversy Surrounding Humanitarian Parole
The alleged arrival of González-Pardo to the U.S. as a beneficiary of the humanitarian parole program comes at a time when the Cuban exile community and Cuban-American congress members have raised alarms about the increasing number of regime enforcers and officials settling in the United States.
The retired colonel is believed to be living in Jacksonville, Florida, where his daughter also resides. According to Martí Noticias, his wife remains in Cuba waiting for her visa to join him.
Known by the nickname "El Bemba" in military circles, González-Pardo reportedly took part in the operation to shoot down the Brothers to the Rescue planes. Although he was not directly responsible for the missile shots that downed the two aircraft on February 24, 1996, he allegedly took off that day and pursued a third plane piloted by the organization's leader, José Basulto, and Arnaldo Iglesias, which also carried Sylvia Iriondo, leader of the M.A.R. organization, and her husband Andrés, who managed to escape.
According to the cited source, González-Pardo was one of the pilots of the MiG-29A 911 that chased Basulto's plane alongside another Cuban regime pilot, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas. This was confirmed by Luis Domínguez from the Cuban Human Rights Foundation.
Social media posts have revealed González-Pardo's continued loyalty to the regime, even after his reported move to the United States. After his retirement, he held significant positions in Cuban civil aviation, including the role of deputy chief of Terminal 4 at José Martí International Airport in Havana, also known as the International Cargo Terminal, operated jointly by Cuban and Spanish companies.
The revelation of González-Pardo's case was confirmed by the well-known Cuban exile pilot Orestes Lorenzo Pérez, a former member of the Cuban Armed Forces who in 1992 made a clandestine journey to Cuba to rescue his wife and children, a feat dubbed the "love flight".
“Pardo has been living in the United States for several months. We've spoken on the phone a few times, but I haven't been able to see him despite trying,” admitted the famous exile and defector. However, in an extensive Facebook post, he criticized the original news source's lack of objectivity, gave González-Pardo the benefit of the doubt, and denied that his friend was involved in the crime against civilian victims.
“I refuse to be like the criminal gang that governs Cuba wants all Cubans to be. Friendship above all entails loyalty. A friend will always be my friend until proven otherwise. Pardo did not kill anyone, as infamously accused by this man in a public medium. He will always enjoy the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise,” Lorenzo Pérez stated.
Despite this declaration of faith in friendship, Lorenzo Pérez recounted a striking anecdote about González-Pardo, who had previously visited the United States and met with the exile.
“I told Pardo that I would not rest until I saw the Pérez brothers before a tribunal to answer for the murder of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots. Pardo replied that he disagreed with me because they were just following orders. His response puzzled me because I did not expect such a cold assessment from him. I simply said that a soldier's duty is to defend the country from an external and armed aggressor, not from unarmed planes flying in international waters. It was a calculated political crime that an honorable soldier would never accept committing, regardless of where the orders came from,” he recounted.
According to Lorenzo Pérez, “that exchange did not end our friendship, but it definitely marked a before and after. From the certainty I had in his integrity, I granted him only the benefit of the doubt that every person deserves until proven guilty.”
“For a long time, I have intended to discuss the details of that day with him, look him in the eyes, and read the sincerity or lack thereof in what he tells me. While the intent or disposition to commit a crime that does not come to fruition cannot be punished by written law, it can be judged by the moral law that sustains friendship. The outcome of that conversation with Pardo, which has not yet happened, will determine our future friendship. It is a matter between him and me,” he added.
According to the independent media Periódico Cubano, three of González-Pardo's sisters already reside in the United States, two of whom worked in the Cuban Ministry of the Armed Forces (MINFAR).
The retired colonel also participated in military missions in Africa and Latin America and was decorated by dictator Fidel Castro after a mission in which he saved a MiG-29, disobeying orders to eject from the plane, which earned him significant injuries.
González-Pardo now lives in the United States, where he reportedly has started working in a bakery in Jacksonville.
Key Questions about Luis Raúl González-Pardo's Case
Given the complexities surrounding Luis Raúl González-Pardo's alleged involvement in the Brothers to the Rescue incident and his subsequent life in the United States, here are some key questions and answers to provide more clarity on the situation.
What is the humanitarian parole program that allowed González-Pardo to enter the U.S.?
The humanitarian parole program is a special immigration policy implemented by President Joe Biden's administration that allows certain individuals to enter the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
What was González-Pardo's role in the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown?
González-Pardo was reportedly one of the pilots involved in the operation that led to the shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996. However, he was not directly responsible for firing the missiles.
Where is González-Pardo currently residing in the U.S.?
González-Pardo is reportedly living in Jacksonville, Florida, where he has started working in a bakery and resides with his daughter.
What has been the reaction of the Cuban exile community to González-Pardo's presence in the U.S.?
The Cuban exile community and Cuban-American congress members have expressed concern over the increasing number of regime enforcers and officials settling in the United States, including González-Pardo.