The Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) is pleased to participate in this conference organized by the Cuban Government to secure the release of the Cuban Five who were illegally detained by the United States. The Cuban Five were unjustly imprisoned in the United States after being arrested by the FBI on September 12, 1998 and convicted in the US Federal Court in Miami in 2001 in a clear case of political prosecution by the United States administration. The five men- Gerdaro Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez. T are all falsely accused by the US government of committing espionage conspiracy against the United States and other related charges. These comrades are completely innocent of the charges laid against them and were never engaged in, nor planned any conspiracy, against the United States government. The PPP is in full solidarity with the Cuban government and more particularly with these five comrades whose only crime is to protect their country and the Cuban people from acts of terrorism by Miami-based terrorist groups. The PPP recalled the refusal of the United States authorities to arrest and prosecute known terrorist groups and individuals in Miami despite overwhelming evidence of crimes committed by them. One such individual was Luis Posada Carriles who is allowed to operate freely in the United States despite overwhelming evidence of criminal activities against the Cuban people. The refusal by the US to take action against these individuals and groups is a clear indication that the actions taken are political in nature. These terrorist groups are allowed to operate with impunity in the United States aimed at destabilizing the Cuban government and the Cuban Revolution. We recall with horror the bombing in September 1976 of a Cuban airline off the shore in Barbados by terrorist elements which resulted in the deaths of several persons including a number of Guyanese students who were returning to Cuba to pursue studies. The PPP joins with the rest of the international community in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Cuban Five. The time is long overdue for the United States authorities to listen to the voice of reason including that of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions which ruled that there were irregularities in the arrest and trial of the five Cubans. Long live international solidarity! Long Live Cuba and the Cuban people!
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:16:06 +0000