South American Demand for Obama to Free the Cuban Five

Buenos Aires, Sept. 13. -A firm demand was made in the Argentine capital today for U.S. President Barack Obama to immediately release the Cuban Five, antiterrorists jailed since 1998.

The demand was raised at the First International Regional Meeting of the Southern Cone to Support the Five, with participants from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Argentina.

In the presence of Mirta Rodríguez, the mother of one of the Five, Antonio Guerrero, and Nuris Piñero, one of the defense lawyers for the Five, delegates to the forum agreed to advocate visits to the Cuban patriots by prominent figures from their countries.

Delegates signed a letter to Obama asking him to honor the commitment of being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The next meeting will take place in 2012 in Florianopolis, Brazil.

The U.S. government and its justice system are aware of the innocence of Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, René González, Ramón Labañino and Fernando González, and their hard work in defense of life, said the letter.

Speaking at the meeting, Vladimir Mirabal, chargé dâ�Öaffaires at the Cuban Embassy, said the meeting would allow Southern Cone countries begin to act collectively and join together in demanding the release of the five Cuban heroes.

"In this joint effort to free these fighters against terrorism, what is essential is coordination, intelligence and creativity so that we can be as effective as possible," he said.

The meeting was organized by the Argentine National Committee to Free the Five, one of the organizations of the Argentine Movement of Solidarity with Cuba (MASCUBA).

As part of the program, hundreds of people marched to the U.S. Embassy to demand that President Obama free the Five. (Prensa Latina)