US Group Promotes Support in Case of Cuban Five

Havana, Feb 23. – The Cuba Research Trip group, consisting of 43 Americans interested in the reality of the island, on Thursday held an exchange with relatives of the five Cubans imprisoned in U.S. jails since 1998.

Visitors learned about the current state of the case of Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Rene Gonzalez, sentenced from 15 years to double life imprisonment penalties for monitoring the actions against Cuba by violent groups based in Florida.

During the meeting, held at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Olga Salanueva, wife of Rene Gonzalez, thanked them for their interest in the cause and asked for help in reporting the case to the U.S. population.

We pin all our hopes on solidarity and the outpouring of support we receive from around the world, because we know we cannot expect any supporting action to Cuba by U.S. administrations, said Salanueva.

For us this exchange with you is very important, precisely because you live there and can do much to spread the reality of this injustice, Salanueva told the group, whose members come mostly from New York.

Santos Crespo, president of a union of public workers of that city, said that last year his organization, composed of 25,000 members, adopted a resolution requiring the release of the Cuban Five, as they are known internationally.

Crespo said to Prensa Latina that in June 2012, during a scheduled union convention in California with representatives of 1.4 million public workers nationwide, he will present a similar proposal for the cause of the Five.

If this resolution is approved, the issue will be included in the agenda of the National Assembly during the next two years and will give greater visibility to the issue among members of our organizations, Crespo stated.

The visit, held despite travel restrictions to Cuba imposed by the U.S. government to citizens of that country, and carried out under stringent measures by the US that limit the activities of the group, started last Saturday and will last until February 25.(Prensa Latina)