Free+the+Cuban+Five.+in+columns

=****Free the Cuban Five!****=

“Our loved ones understand the depth of the ideas that guide us and they will take pride in our sacrifices for Humanity in this struggle against terrorism and for the independence of Cuba.” - The Five.

Since 1959, ultra-right terrorist groups in Miami have conducted bombings, assassinations and other sabotage, killing hundreds of innocent Cuban civilians. Groups like Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue, and Cuban American National Foundation have terrorized the Cuban people with impunity.

On a mission from the Cuban government in defense of their people, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, René González and Fernando González lived in Miami and monitored these terrorist groups to prevent future violence.

The Cuban government had previously met with US government, even though, through the CIA, it has played the principal role in funding, training and arming the ultra-right Miami mafia. On June 17 1998 in Havana the Cubans requested U.S. law-enforcement officials to act on Cuban Government-provided evidence so as to end the cycle of terror. But instead of arresting the terrorists, the FBI targeted the five anti-terrorist Cubans. Recently the US authorities allowed a convicted anti-Cuban terrorist to enter their country. On 12 April 2005 this notorious killer (Luis Posada Carriles) appealed for asylum in the United States through his attorneys in Miami. The US imperialists condone terrorism when it suits their purposes. Alongside the campaign to free the Five there is now a campaingn against granting asylum to the real terrorist, Posada.

The Five
The Cuban Five were arrested by the FBI in September 1998 and falsely charged with espionage against the U.S. They were held without bail for 33 months between arrest and trial. For 17 months of this time they were held in solitary confinement cells, completely cut off from their families and young children, and not even able to communicate with each other.

They were convicted June 8, 2001 and sentenced December 2001 as follows: Gerardo Hernández, 2 life sentences; Antonio Guerrero, life; Ramón Labañino, life; René González, 15 years; and Fernando González, 19 years. The extreme length of these sentences is made worse by the cruelty of the treatment of these political prisoners. Even up to now, family visits to the five have been forbidden. In the case of one of the prisoners his wife who was born and bred in the USA has been deported to Cuba.

Father Michael Lapsley was able to visit one of the five (Gerardo Hernández) in prison in California in 2003 and again in June 2004. Comrade Hernández participated as an internationalist fighter in Angola against the apartheid army in 1989. Fr. Lapsley is the President of the South African Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS). Below is his report of the first visit.

On May 3 2003 the President of the Friends of Cuba Society in South Afica, Fr. Michael Lapsley, spent three and a half hours visiting one of the 5 Cuban political prisoners languishing in United States prisons. Gerardo Hernández is serving two life sentences plus fifteen years and is incarcerated in Lompoc maximum-security federal penitentiary, 3 hours out of Los Angeles.
 * Report by FOCUS President Fr. Michael Lapsley on his first visit to Gerardo** **Hernández (extracts)

In 1989, Hernández participated in an internationalist mission in Angola. He told me that it was his greatest privilege, as he said, in the minutest way to have contributed in the fight against apartheid.

Gerardo Hernández studied international relations in Cuba. Not long after marrying his wife who is a chemical engineer in Havana, he was approached by Cuban intelligence for a different kind of diplomacy. It was decided to infiltrate the US based terrorist groups to try and prevent further bloodshed.

Gerardo was asked to participate in this highly dangerous project to protect his motherland. Not unaware of the risks Gerardo accepted.

He has been found guilty of espionage for supplying information, which was not secret and did not threaten the security of the United States.

When Gerardo's wife tried to visit, not having seen her husband for five years, she was interrogated for many hours and sent back. He expressed deep pain at his separation from his wife, family and motherland.

At the same time Gerardo asked me to say how much strength he experiences because of the support of the worldwide solidarity movement and from all that has been achieved by the people of South Africa. He expressed particular appreciation of a recent letter of support from Nadine Gordimer and many postcards from the Friends of Cuba Society in South Africa.

We promised each other to meet again, hopefully in Havana and not in a US prison. After embracing I turned to leave. As I looked back Gerardo stood at attention smiling at me with a clenched fist salute. I felt privileged to have spent time with one of Cuba's finest sons.

President: Fr. M. Lapsley, SSM**
 * Friends of Cuba Society,

To join FOCUS (Friends of Cuba Society) write to **Clever Banganayi** at **clever@mail.twr.ac.za**

For more information on the Five, including pictures, go to http://www.freethefive.org/, or to http://www.granma.cu/miami5/ingles/index.html

Dominic Tweedie, April 2005