The Hindu : New Delhi News : U.S. humiliating ‘Cuban Five’: envoy

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U.S. humiliating ‘Cuban Five’: envoy

Staff Reporter

Accuses the United States of unjustly arresting and humiliating them

— PHOTO: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.

Ambassador of Cuba Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos , CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and member of National Executive of CPI Pallab Sengupta at a press conference in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Accusing the United States administration of “unjustly arresting and humiliating” five Cubans who were “working against terrorist attacks on their motherland,” Cuban Ambassador Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos has sought to mobilise support for the “heroes.”

The five Cubans were arrested on September 12, 1998, in southern Florida on charges of monitoring key military installations. Cuba, however, maintains that they were falsely accused by the U.S. government of committing espionage and conspiracy against that country and were wrongly convicted in a Miami court.

They are Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez.

‘Imprisonment unjust’

“The five courageous Cubans have been subjected to unjust and harsh imprisonment in U.S. jails, when the only crime they are guilty of is patriotism. Since 1959, we have been victims of terrorism. Our heroes went to the U.S. on a mission to gather intelligence about the activities of the terrorist mafia operating from Miami,” said Mr. Ramos at a press conference.

“They gathered information about impending acts of sabotage and terrorism. Instead of putting these terrorist organisations in jail, the U.S. administration jailed the five Cubans. Their trial and sentencing have been unfair. The U.S. is taking revenge on the Cuban Revolution. The U.S. has tried everything to disturb Cuba, but it has not succeeded as we continue to grow,” the Ambassador asserted.

CPI(M) solidarity

Expressing his solidarity with the country, the senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said the five Cubans were being held as “political detenus.”

“This is part of an overall U.S. attitude towards Cuba and socialism. We know how politically inconvenient people are branded as terrorists. We believe that people of a sovereign country have the right to decide for themselves.

“We assure our Cuban comrades that we are with them in strengthening the anti-imperialist movement. Solidarity with Cuba means solidarity against U.S. imperialism for a better world,” he maintained.

The Ambassador informed that the wife of one of these “heroes”, Fernando Gonzalez, along with their lawyer will visit India later this month as part of building international pressure in favour of the jailed Cubans.

CPI optimistic

Communist Party of India leader Pallab Sengupta expressed confidence that international solidarity will bring the five Cubans back home.

Jitendra Sharma of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers said a petition containing numerous signatures will reach the White House on Saturday demanding the release of the “Cuban Five.”

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