Bahamian Students urged to back Cuban 5
Published in The Tribune April 5, 2007
By Alexandrio Morley
STUDENTS of the Omega College were urged by Cuban Ambassador Felix Wilson to join the Bahamian solidarity network in support of the Cuban Five in Miami.
The students , primarily those taking Caribbean history classes at the college, were told that the Cuban Five are “national heroes” who fought against terrorism in the Caribbean.
Ambassador Wilson said that Cuba has been the fending off “invasion” attempts by the US government for many years. And according to him, the incarceration of the five Cubans is “hypocrisy”. This is particularly so because the US government is “supposedly” involved in a war against terrorism, he said.
The Cuban Five are five men who are imprisoned in the US, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being convicted in a Federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001. They are Gerardo Hernàndez, Ramòn Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and Renè González.
The men were accused by the US government of committing espionage and conspiracy against the United States, and other related charges. But the five and those who defend them point out that they were involved in monitoring the actions of Miami – based terrorist groups, in order to prevent terrorist attack on their country.
In October 2006, Irma Gonzàlez, the 22 year – old daughter of one of the imprisoned men, visited the Bahamas and spoke to students at the College of the Bahamas about the case. Ms. González was invited to the Bahamas by a local group called the Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five. She urged COB students to join the “solidarity community” that is agitating for the release of the men.
Recently, the international campaign to free the five has been asking for an investigation into the US government´s denial of visitation rights to members of the imprisoned men´s families - especially in the case of Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pèrez.
“We do not have any animosity against the US”, Ambassador Wilson said. “It has always been the position that the different US administrations have tried to impose on our country their will, and that has been a problems for our people”.
Mr. Wilson said: “The Cuban Five could not have received a fair trial in Miami because the environment was poisoned by extreme right – wing groups who want to aid the US government in overthrowing Cuba”.
He pledged that Cuba would continue to do what it believes is necessary to defend its sovereignty.
The five men have been imprisoned since 1998, In Cuba they are considered patriots and heroes who volunteered to defend their country by gathering information about terrorism directed at Cuba from within Cuban exile communities.
However the US government believes the men are apart of an espionage network that threatened US national security by trying to infiltrate military installations.
END
By Alexandrio Morley
STUDENTS of the Omega College were urged by Cuban Ambassador Felix Wilson to join the Bahamian solidarity network in support of the Cuban Five in Miami.
The students , primarily those taking Caribbean history classes at the college, were told that the Cuban Five are “national heroes” who fought against terrorism in the Caribbean.
Ambassador Wilson said that Cuba has been the fending off “invasion” attempts by the US government for many years. And according to him, the incarceration of the five Cubans is “hypocrisy”. This is particularly so because the US government is “supposedly” involved in a war against terrorism, he said.
The Cuban Five are five men who are imprisoned in the US, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being convicted in a Federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001. They are Gerardo Hernàndez, Ramòn Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and Renè González.
The men were accused by the US government of committing espionage and conspiracy against the United States, and other related charges. But the five and those who defend them point out that they were involved in monitoring the actions of Miami – based terrorist groups, in order to prevent terrorist attack on their country.
In October 2006, Irma Gonzàlez, the 22 year – old daughter of one of the imprisoned men, visited the Bahamas and spoke to students at the College of the Bahamas about the case. Ms. González was invited to the Bahamas by a local group called the Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five. She urged COB students to join the “solidarity community” that is agitating for the release of the men.
Recently, the international campaign to free the five has been asking for an investigation into the US government´s denial of visitation rights to members of the imprisoned men´s families - especially in the case of Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pèrez.
“We do not have any animosity against the US”, Ambassador Wilson said. “It has always been the position that the different US administrations have tried to impose on our country their will, and that has been a problems for our people”.
Mr. Wilson said: “The Cuban Five could not have received a fair trial in Miami because the environment was poisoned by extreme right – wing groups who want to aid the US government in overthrowing Cuba”.
He pledged that Cuba would continue to do what it believes is necessary to defend its sovereignty.
The five men have been imprisoned since 1998, In Cuba they are considered patriots and heroes who volunteered to defend their country by gathering information about terrorism directed at Cuba from within Cuban exile communities.
However the US government believes the men are apart of an espionage network that threatened US national security by trying to infiltrate military installations.
END
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