Locals join call to free Cuban Five

by Omesha Spence 17.JULY.09

Vincentians are being called upon to join the fight to free the Cuban Five. In an effort to spread the story about the “Cuban Five”, the Cuban Embassy here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines held a seminar on the issue at the Cultural Institute of the Bolivarian Venezuelan Republic at Murray’s Road on Friday, July 10, 2009.{{more}}

The Cuban Five or the Cuban Heroes as they are affectionately referred to are five men, three Cuban and two American natives currently imprisoned in the United States of America. The men: Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Fernando González Llort and Ramón Labañino Salazar all of Cuba and Rene González Sehwerert and Antonio Guerrero Rodríguez from United States of America were arrested and charged as suspects of conspiracy and terrorism on September 12, 1998.

The men were arrested in Miami while investigating Miami exile groups suspected of terrorist attacks on Cuba. They were charged on 26 counts of violating the federal laws of the USA. They were all given life sentences. Since their arrest, the men have not been allowed to see their families and appeals to the Supreme Court to review their case have been denied.

Speaking at the seminar, Parnel Campbell QC said that the fight to free the Cuban Five has now become a political struggle as all legal possibilities have been thrown out. On June 15, 2009, the United States Supreme Court announced that they would not be reviewing the case of the Cuban Five. Highlighting the contributions made by The Cuban government to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Campbell charged that it was Vincentians turn to step up and join the fight to free the Cuban Five, as a way of showing their appreciation to Cuba. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Campbell further said, persons must be actively involved in signing petitions to be sent to the authorities in the United States.

Campbell, however, indicated that the struggle would be a hard and ongoing one in order to persuade authorities to free the five. He, however, expressed great hope in the US president Barack Obama. “There are hopeful signs on the horizon, and one of the hopeful signs is in the presidency of Barack Obama,” he said. While stating that Cuban-American relations will depend heavily on the freedom of the five men, he indicated that the climate of America must be favorable to further persuade authorities to free the men.

Representatives from other Vincentian groups involved in the fight to free the Cuban five also made brief remarks at the Seminar. Trade Union Representative Noel Jackson insisted that several educational programmes be created, and intense activities take place in order to inform persons of the plight of the five men. Jackson also related his confusion about the release of persons accused of terrorism from Guantanamo Bay while the Cuban Five are still imprisoned. “The Obama administration found it important and convenient to free terrorists of Guantanamo Bay, but the five brothers who were doing the (noble) thing, the thing the American nation is engaged in doing everyday, you are jailing brothers for that!” he said.

Representative from VINCUPA (Vincentian Association of Cuban Trained Professionals) Bernard Hamilton also read a message from the organization pledging their solidarity to the efforts to free the Cuban five.