FRFI 165 February / March 2002
The sentencing of five Cubans to life imprisonment by a Miami court on charges of espionage and conspiracy blatantly exposes the USA’s ‘war on terrorism’ as self-serving hypocrisy. All five men were involved in trying to infiltrate the viciously reactionary Miami-based Cuban exile groups responsible for acts of terrorism against Cuba over the years. The US administration has frequently acted in collusion with these groups, supporting acts of sabotage, biological warfare and assassination attempts against the Cuban people. The case has prompted massive demonstrations and shows of solidarity with the five men from within Cuba. XIOMARA PEDROSO GOMEZ, a representative of Cuba’s national student federation (FEU), which has been active in organising solidarity for the men, reports from Cuba.
Months have passed since the Cuban people began the battle for the return of Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Gerardo Hernández and René González, the five Cubans imprisoned in the United States since three years ago.
Accused of conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States government and of conpsiracy to assassinate, they are being punished unjustly by a biased Miami court, which represents the interests of the Cuban-American terrorist mafia. This is the same mafia that has planned and executed countless attacks of every kind against Cuba, with the single objective of overthrowing the Cuban Revolution and everything related to it.
It was impossible to expect impartiality in Miami. Each trial dismissed any semblance of justice and degenerated into ferocious attacks. José Basulto [leader of the counter-revolutionary group Brothers to the Rescue] appeared before the court to rejoice that at last ‘justice had been done’. The proofs that undermined every one of the accusations against them were ignored and rejected out of hand.
The Cuban people demand justice and the liberation of the men, who did nothing but defend the Cuban people – and indeed the north American people – from terrorist actions organised in that country.
For the USA terrorism began on 11 September, 2001. For Cuba, for Palestine, for rest of the oppressed people of the world, it began a long time ago. And no one did anything – nor do they now – to root it out.
It is an evil that cannot be reduced to the attack on the twin towers of New York. There is only one terrorism and it has to be combated from its foundation and in whatever form it manifests itself, with real and authentic cooperation between all countries.
