September 12, 2008 - No. 118
September 12 International Day of Action
10 Years of Injustice -- 10 Years Too
Many!
Free the Cuban Five Political Prisoners
Held in U.S. Jails!
• 10 Years of Injustice -- 10 Years Too Many!
Free the Cuban Five Political Prisoners Held in U.S. Jails!
• Billboards in Vancouver Demand Release of
Cuban Five
• Canadian Parliamentarians Sign Letter for
Cuban Five - Canadian Network on Cuba and Table de
Concertation
de Solidarité Québec-Cuba Joint Statement
Cuba
• Statement by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
• A Letter from Comrade Fidel Castro to Randy
Alonso, Director of the Round Table TV Program
SUPPLEMENT
• Chronicle of an Injustice -- Brief Summary
of
the Case of the Cuban Five - Leonard Weinglass
10 Years of Injustice -- 10 Years Too Many!
Free the Cuban Five Political Prisoners
Held in U.S. Jails!
 
Today, September 12, 1998, marks the 10th anniversary of
the imprisonment on September 12, 1998 of Gerardo Hernández,
Ramón Labañino,
Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González,
known as the
Cuban Five. The five were arrested on false pretences after relaying to
the U.S. government information on South
Florida-based ultra-right organizations that have undertaken terrorist
actions against Cuba over the past four decades.
A communiqué on the five issued by the Table de
concertation de Solidarité Québec-Cuba states, "There are
news developments in the case of the Cuban Five. On September 2, the
11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta denied the defense's
request for a hearing to reconsider the case of the
five. President of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcón
condemned the decision and launched a call for international solidarity
with the Cuban Five to denounce this arbitrary decision. He noted that
the latest decision puts the International Day of Solidarity with the
Five (September 12) in a new context and called
on Cubans and non-Cubans to mobilize. The defence lawyers of the Five
Cubans will again send the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, the deadline
to request a review is set for
December 1, 2008."
The Five have remained in isolation in maximum security
prisons, under harsh conditions, in violation of their human rights and
of the laws of the United States. Two of them have been deprived of the
right to be visited by their wives.
TML denounces the double standards of the
U.S. in its war on terror and calls upon the Canadian working class and
people to go all out to support the cause of Cuban Five and Cuba's
right to self-determination, free from outside interference.
Vancouver Billboards Demand Release of Cuban Five
 
The Canada-Cuba Friendship Association, Vancouver has
put up two billboards demanding the release of the five Cuban
anti-terrorist fighters in U.S. jails.
The billboards have been displayed on local Vancouver
thoroughfares, where they are visible to traffic and passers by, the
report by CCFA-Vancouver explains.
The solidarity action takes place as Gerardo Hernández,
Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González
and René
González, known as the Cuban Five, have remained imprisoned in
high
security jails for 10 years.
56 Canadian Parliamentarians Sign Letter
for Cuban Five
- Canadian Network on Cuba and Table de
Concertation de Solidarité Québec-Cuba Joint Statement,
July 7, 2008 -
 On the
initiative of Francine Lalonde, Bloc
Québécois MP for La Pointe-de-l'Île and Foreign
Affairs critic, 56 Members of Parliament signed a letter demanding
justice for the five Cubans imprisoned in the United States and for
their families. In a collaborative gesture with the Bloc
Québécois, Libby Davies,
MP for Vancouver East, organized the letter signing within the New
Democratic Party.
The letter explaining the case of the Five was signed by
40 Bloc Québécois and 16 New Democratic Party MPs. During
the week of June 23-27, 2008 the letter was forwarded to the Honourable
David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada with copy to Mr.
Michael Mukasey, Attorney General
of the United States, and Mr. David Wilkins, Ambassador of the United
States to Canada.
The letter indicates that Fernando González
Llort, René González Sehwerert, Antonio Guerrero
Rodríguez, Gerardo Hernández Nordelo and Ramón
Labañino Salazar, known internationally as the "Five" and
imprisoned in the United States for 10 years, have undergone
an unfair trial and conditions
of detention which contravene the Constitution of the United States and
international law. The letter signed by 56 MPs hinges, inter alia,
on Amnesty International, on the United Nations Working Group on
arbitrary detentions, which stems from the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights, and
also on a group of 110 British members of Parliament who denounced the
conditions of the trial and the imprisonment. The letter also mentions
that these five people are held in five separate maximum security
prisons and are kept for long periods in isolation cells; two of them
have been denied their right to family
visits. It also states that, since the Atlanta Court of Appeal declared
that the verdicts against the Cuban Five were invalid, nothing
justifies their imprisonment any longer or the arbitrary situation that
is extremely painful for the Cuban Five and their families.
In 1998 the Cuban government had given to the American
authorities a thick report which showed that terrorist acts were being
plotted on American soil by anti-Cuba groups living primarily in Miami.
The information was gathered largely from data collected by the Cuban
Five who had infiltrated these
groups; but rather than acting on this information, it was the Cuban
Five who were arrested on September 12, 1998.
Other members of Parliament in the world have denounced
the injustice made against the Five and their families, such as Karel
De Gucht, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who made a statement
last June 30th.
In Québec, in addition to many ordinary citizens,
well-known personalities such as Claudette Carbonneau, president of the
CSN, Elsie Lefebvre, Bloc Québécois Party former MP as
well as 93 personalities gave their support to the Five. In Canada, Ms.
Libby Davies, NDP MP for Vancouver East, gathered
signatures of other MPs from her party. The support of the NDP MPs for
the Five is added to that of the Labour Congress of Canada and the
Canadian Federation of Students, among others. In October 2007 Ms.
Francine Lalonde met in her office of Pointe-aux-Trembles, with Ms.
Elizabeth Palmeiro, wife of Ramón
Labañino, one of the Five.
The Canadian Network on Cuba and the Table de
concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba support fully the
Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party in this joint
call for justice and add our voices to those of our MPs. We will
continue in our joint efforts to bring justice for the Five by making
their case known to the public of Québec and Canada and also in
collaboration with other justice seeking organizations in the United
States and elsewhere in the world.
We demand justice for the Five and their families!
Contact: Nino Pagliccia 604-831-9821;
nino.pagliccia@ubc.ca
Cuba
Statement by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- September 10, 2008 -
Yesterday, September 9, 2008, at 11:50 A.M., the
Department of State conveyed to the Interests Section of Cuba in
Washington Note Nº 252/18 in which, after expressing its regrets
for the additional damage caused to the Cuban people by Hurricane Ike,
it insists in the visit to our country of a "humanitarian assessment
team" to "inspect the affected areas."
Today, September 10, at 7:20 P.M. the Interests Section
of Cuba in Washington sent to the Department of State Note Nº
046/08, in which it conveys its appreciation for the expressions of
regret by the Government of the United States for the damage caused in
Cuba by hurricane Ike, and reiterates that
Cuba does not require the assistance of a humanitarian assessment team
as it has a sufficient number of trained specialists to deal with this
task.
The Note
emphasizes that if the Government of the United
States is really willing to cooperate with the Cuban people it is
requested to allow the sale to Cuba of indispensable material, such as
materials for roofing, for building repairs and for the
re-establishment of electric networks.
Likewise, it reiterates the request that the Government
of the United States suspend the restrictions preventing U.S. companies
from providing private commercial credits to Cuba for the purchase of
foodstuffs in the United States.
The Note also calls the attention of the Department of
State that the visit to Cuba of a humanitarian assessment team is not
required to allow the sale of the aforementioned materials and to
authorize private credits for the purchase of foodstuffs.
Lastly, the Note of the Interests Section of Cuba
underscores to the Department of State that its Note Nº 252/18
insists in a request that the Government of Cuba had already replied to
in Note Nº 1886 of September 6, 2008, of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, but, and it is highly significant, it does
not actually respond to the two concrete requests made by the
Government of Cuba to the Government of the United States in order to
cope with the damage caused by Hurricane Gustav, that it once again
reiterates.
On the other hand, during the last few hours,
spokespersons of the Government of the United States have attempted to
justify the refusal by President Bush to allow the sale to Cuba of
indispensable materials and to authorize private commercial credits to
purchase foodstuffs in the U.S.
Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, affirmed
categorically on Sunday, September 7: "I don't think that (...) the
lifting of the embargo would be wise."
The Spokesman of the Department of State, Sean
McCormack, insisted, on Monday, September 8, in a press briefing, on
the alleged importance that Cuba accept an assessment team to inspect
damage "in situ." Responding to the observation of journalists that
other countries have provided assistance
without demanding a previous inspection of damage in the field,
McCormack responded evasively: ""See if the Cuban Government changes
its mind about allowing us to help the Cuban people."
On his part, the Cuban American Carlos Gutiérrez,
U.S. Commerce Secretary and Co-Chairman of the commission in charge of
implementing the Bush Plan against Cuba expressed hypocritically
yesterday: "we reiterate our offer to allow a USAID team to travel to
Cuba to assess the situation."
This is a cynical attitude of the Government of the
United States. It attempts to suggest that it is desperate to cooperate
with Cuba, and that we are the ones refusing. It lies shamelessly.
Why does the Government of the United States insist in
the pretext of carrying out an inspection "in situ" when the
information disseminated regarding the serious effects caused by the
hurricanes in Cuba is widespread and obvious?
Why does it use the precondition of sending an
inspection team, something that no one else has done among the scores
of countries that are already generously cooperating with Cuba?
Why does the Government of the United States refuse to
allow Cuba to purchase materials for building repairs, roofing or
components the re-establishment of electrical networks in the U.S.?
Why does if forbid U.S. companies and their subsidiaries
in all countries, to provide Cuba with private credit for the purchase
of foodstuffs, which today are essential to ensure food for the
affected population and to replace reserves in the event of new
hurricanes?
These are the questions that the U.S. Government must
answer.
These are the questions that the international
community, that overwhelmingly supports Cuba in its struggle against
the blockade, poses to the Government of the United States.
Cuba has not asked the Government of the United States
for any gift whatsoever. Simply to be allowed to purchase.
Anything else is pure rhetoric, pretexts and
justifications that no one believes.
Cuba will go forward. No hurricane, blockade or
aggression will be able to prevent it.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba
Havana, September 10, 2008
A Letter from Comrade Fidel Castro to Randy Alonso,
Director of the Round Table TV Program
- September 10, 2008 -
Dear Randy,
The Round Table's information yesterday was especially
interesting and valuable. What a shame that at that time the island had
no electricity, all the way from Punta de Maisí to Cabo de San
Antonio. Only a few family homes, resisting strong winds, in the Camilo
Cienfuegos neighbourhood, had electricity.
They were connected to the underground cable from the generator of the
Luis Díaz Soto Hospital.
Whenever that vital energy of our era is absent,
everything is missing and nothing works. It makes us wish for the day
when all homes strong enough to stand up to a hurricane, like those I
spoke of a few days ago, get their electricity through underground
cables. Unfortunately, this will take some time
and enormous expenses.
For one second, I imagined what would have happened to
the inhabitants of our island facing a natural disaster like the one
which just occurred, without the Cuban Civil Defense and the vital
services for the population such as hospitals, polyclinics, bakeries,
information centres and other similar facilities
being supplied with electricity.
The images of destroyed homes and facilities, ruined
crops, uprooted trees, overflowing rivers, houses invaded by water in
low-lying areas, persons swept away by the fast-flowing currents and
saved by desperate efforts, were heart-rending. I think some of these
should be re-broadcast in the future so
that those whose television sets were not working can see them.
Never to be forgotten are the scenes of our men of the
Armed Forces and the specialized troops undertaking missions of help
and support to the population and the victims. It was impressive to see
the actions of the fire-fighters risking life and limb, in dangerous
currents, to help their compatriots.
One truly needs strict training and courage to
accomplish those tasks. Only in exceptional circumstances do we learn
about the existence of such men and they prepare in silence for those
critical moments. I must confess that it was exciting to see scenes
where José Ramón Machado Ventura and Ramón
Espinosa Martín, First Vice-President of the Council of State
and Head of the Eastern Army respectively, both well-seasoned by the
struggle, together with younger comrades, the presidents of Defense
Councils, were tirelessly visiting the most affected places and
immediately indicating which measures had to be
taken. Other similar scenes were taking place with other upper-level
Party leaders, with Joaquín Quinta Solá, former Head of
the Central Army and current Vice-Minister of the Revolutionary Armed
Forces (FAR) and Leopoldo Cintra Frías, Head of the Western
Army, and the presidents of the Defense Councils in
the provinces and municipalities being visited.
I saw more clearly than ever the value of our symbols.
Cuban flags sparkled like never before on the shoulders of the Party
cadres, both men and women, in the hour of difficulty. They are the
subjective factors without which all would be lost and without which
victory would not be possible.
The work of reporters who neither slept not rested, at
times facing rain and wind, has been excellent, informing the country
of what was happening, broadcasting the truth, examples and experiences
which make us feel we are part of a national community interconnected
with all the inhabitants of the
planet. People have been sending us their messages of solidarity, even
though a great part suffers from poverty and the punishment of nature
which the consumer societies and their sophisticated technologies are
conducting towards a point that is incompatible with human survival
itself.
Now is the time for the analysis of objective factors,
rational and optimum use of material and human resources; what should
be done in each specific place, where one must invest or not; how to
spend each cent; how we respond to each question about what has to be
done in emergency situations and
in normal circumstances so that everything returns to safe levels --
water and air. The normal lives of the children, teenagers and adults
will carry on, always prepared to fight and vanquish all the
adversities of today or tomorrow, never losing their spirit.
Our duty is to triumph!
Fidel Castro Ruz
September 10, 2008
12:14 p.m.
Calendar of Events
Montreal
Friday, September 12 --
5:00 pm-7:00 pm
In front of the U.S. Consulate (corner of Rene-Levesque and
St-Alexandre; metro Place-d'Armes or McGill)
Organized by: Table de concertation de solidarité
Québec-Cuba and its Comité Fabio Di Celmo pour les 5
For information:
comitefabio@hotmail.com / 514-728-9363 / www.solidaritequebeccuba.qc.ca
Toronto
Political/Cultural Night
Friday, September 12 --
7:00 pm
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), Auditorium
252 Bloor St. W. (at St.
George Subway)
Presented by: Ontario
Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG at U of T)
Sponsored by: Toronto
Forum on Cuba
For information:
torontoforumoncuba@rogers.com
Vancouver
September 12
Picket
-- 12:00 noon
U.S. Consulate
1075 W. Pender St, Vancouver
Cuban Cultural Night
-- 7:00 pm
Mt Pleasant Neighborhood House
800 East Broadway (on Broadway 1 block East of Fraser St.)
Organized by: Free the
Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver and
Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba
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