Cuban Parliament President Wants Cuban 5 Free

Managua, May 19. -U.S. President Barack Obama must release the five Cuban antiterrorist fighters unjustly imprisoned in that country for the last 13 years, stated the president of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon.

Alarcon, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, was referring to Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo, Ramon Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero, known universally as the Five.

Obama knows that they are only and exclusively imprisoned for fighting terrorism, Alarcon said.

He made his remarks in a brief speech to representatives from 47 left-wing political parties and organizations from 32 countries attending the 17th edition of the Sao Paulo Forum, which opened on Wednesday in this capital.

The Cuban legislator talked particularly about the situation of Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo, sentenced to a double life sentence plus fifteen years, despite the fact that 10 years ago, on May 25, 2001, the U.S. federal government recognized in writing and officially it has no evidence to maintain that accusation.

Alarcon referred to this issue after recalling that during a recent visit to Mexico, a journalist had asked him about certain comments of Obama regarding the results of the 6th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party, held in April in Havana. (Prensa Latina)