While the U.S. government slashes education, healthcare and builds bombs, there is one country in the western hemisphere that provides free health care for all the people, that provides free education through university for youth. It is a country where there is no homelessness.
Sisters and brothers, what country am I talking about? Yes, it’s Cuba.
The U.S. government wants to destroy the island precisely because Cuba is
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Washington has blockaded, invaded, and terrorized Cuba for almost 50 years. U.S. terrorism, assassinations, bombings and biological warfare have been a favorite weapon against the Cuban people.
Cuba has to defend itself against U.S. terrorism. That is where the Cuban Five come in.
In the early 1990s, when the United States increased its aggression against Cuba, five brave Cuban men went into Miami with the mission of protecting the Cuban people from U.S. terrorism.
The Cuban Five were sent into Miami to infiltrate terrorist right-wing anti-Cuba organizations, in order to stop their terrorist plots.
Cuban Five anti-terrorist fighters
Who are the Cuban Five?
They are Gerardo Hernández, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino, and Rene González. They were protecting Cuban and U.S. lives from the terrorists that the U.S. government finances.
But instead of being treated as the heroes that they are, the Cuban Five were arrested by the FBI eight years ago, in 1998.
They were falsely charged with various conspiracy counts. They were held in solitary confinement for 17 months.
Worst of all, the Cuban Five were tried in Miami, the one city in the United States where they could never receive a fair trial.
On June 8, 2001, the Five were convicted on all counts and given 15 years to double life sentences.
That is when activists in the United States got involved. We formed the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five.
Our aim is to reach every person in the United States, to make the Cuban Five known in every household. We will not stop fighting until they are free and home in Cuba.
Today, I have an important update in the case to share with you.
Over one year ago, the Cuban Five won an important victory. On Aug. 9, 2005, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that the Five were denied a fair trial in Miami and ordered a new trial for them. It was a huge victory for our brothers.
However, U.S. attorney general Alberto Gonzales intervened and appealed the Cuban Five victory.
In a big legal setback in August 2006, the five Cuban heroes were denied a new trial by the full panel of the same Court. But the fight is not over.
The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five has organized and mobilized for five years, along with hundreds of groups around the world, and with millions in Cuba.
Along with the legal battle, we’ve had forums and fought for media coverage to make their case known to the people of the United States.
The next few months will be very important as we await more appeals.
I want to thank the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) for always giving the Cuban Five a platform to have their struggle be heard.
We ask that you not forget Cuba, that you defend Cuba’s right to exist and that you demand immediate freedom for the Cuban Five.
Let’s all work together to bring this criminal war and occupation to an end. Let’s remember Cuba as well when we say, “No racist U.S. wars anywhere!”
Bring the troops home now! Stop killing Iraqi people! Free the Cuban Five!
